Resurrection Falls
by Spiderman169
Summary: I basically wrote a season three combining different fandoms (Monster Falls, Reverse Falls, etc). Stan gets sick and Dipper, Mabel, and Ford go adventuring through the multiverse seeking the Axolotl and answers. They discover an old enemy is returning and that a certain blue-haired demon may be their one chance to save everyone - but at what cost?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

 _Several billion years ago._

The multiverse smelled like burnt rubber and motor oil. Who knew?

Horrible cackling filled the red sky. Heat flushed against the boy's skin as tears poured down his face. For the first time, he cowered away from the one he loved and trusted more than anything. The boy looked up to see his best friend strutting around his chaos, several bricks of his body on fire. He neglected to put it out.

"How could you?" he screamed. His brother turned around, a mad gleam in his eye.

"Isn't this fun?" he laughed.

"No! You've got to stop!" He narrowed his eye and pushed his twin backwards.

"I'll do whatever I feel like!" he screeched. "I'm sick of your rules! Your order! No one's gonna get in my way!" The dimension behind them disintegrated into dust. He grinned at the destruction before him. "Reality is an illusion. The universe is a hologram," he sneered. "This is my chess board now." His fallen twin trembled.

"You're gonna regret this."

"You'll be the one regretting not joining me!" he snapped. "I'll make you a king - a god!"

"I never wanted to be a god!" He smirked, raising up his hand to snap his fingers once more.

"Then be a servant."

 _Present day_.

"Welcome back boys and girls. I hope you all had a fun and relaxing summer vacation." Dipper chuckled into his hand as he shared a glance with Mabel across the room. She too was grinning. Fun - yeah their summer had been fun. Relaxing? Unless you considered dream demons and cults relaxing . . .

Their teacher called attendance and class droned on. Dipper could already tell Mabel was confused and bored by the end of their first math class. He would end up helping her a lot with that class and the ones to come - sometimes by letting her copy off of his tests. Anything for your sibling - right? Dipper figured it didn't hurt as long as his sister didn't end up doing anything in the future that would require the knowledge. And she wouldn't. In exchange, she helped him fake injuries for gym class. Not that he couldn't hold his own against the seniors hopped up on steroids . . . but getting himself killed in a dodgeball tournament was not how he wanted to die. He wanted to die doing something cool - like battling aliens with Grunkle Ford. Besides, they had to dress out for gym now - and Dipper was already teased enough for his scrawniness with his shirt and pants _on_ \- thank you very much.

But high school wasn't all bad. Dipper put as much energy into his studies as Mabel put into her artwork. They were both rising quickly to the top of their respective fields. Of course - school just seemed like a mandatory meeting they had to go to compared to what awaited them every summer. After leaving out some key details to their parents . . . okay most of all the details . . . their parents allowed them to return to Gravity Falls that summer. And the summer afterwards. And afterwards.

The rusty bus rolled to an unsteady stop in the loose gravel. Two lanky figures stepped out of the rusty bus for the third time after Weirdmaggedon. One wore a thick pink sweater in spite of the heat of the day. The shiny metal that usually marred her bright smile had been removed earlier that year. She grinned as she looked up through the familiar trees. Beside her, a slightly taller figure tried to hold on to various books and his duffel bag at the same time, almost spilling both into the dirt. He wore a red flannel shirt over a white t-shirt paired with blue jeans. His sneakers were muddy. He too was excited but his eyes gleamed with more curiosity than his sister's. The rusty bus squealed slightly as it drove off down the road.

The twins waddled down the road with their things. Usually they would have half the town welcoming them back to their summer home, but they had arrived a few days earlier than expected. Dipper would have called ahead, but Mabel had accidently dropped both of their phones in a jug of Mabel juice she had made that morning.

Dipper used his foot to open the door of the Mystery Shack, surprising a large man leaning against the counter. His eyes lit up with excitement.

"Dipper! Mabel!" They all grinned as they rushed forward to hug each other. "Dudes, I thought you guys weren't coming until this weekend?"

"Plans changed. We would've let you know, but Mabel destroyed our phones," Dipper said, giving his twin a pointed look. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well, your Grunkles won't be here until tomorrow anyway. Come in! Make yourselves comfortable! I'm assuming you guys will stay up in the attic again?" They nodded and hauled their stuff upstairs. Traces of their last summer stay stained the room. Glitter and paint splotches on Mabel's side, stray notes and the bones of chewed-up pens on Dipper's. Dipper relaxed as he breathed in the smell of the old cabin - a mix of oak and whatever odd chemical smells wafted up from the basement.

"Gravity Falls, it is good to be back," he whispered. The twins were now fifteen. Dipper felt the anticipation for finally being old enough to drive welling up in his bones. He was hoping they would get the chance to practice some before getting their permits.

The twins set their stuff down and went back downstairs. Soos was clad in the familiar Man of Mystery suit, proudly sporting the eyepatch. Melody, who had moved down permanently after Soos' proposal a few months ago, manned the cash register. Upon her arrival, Soos' abuelita had finally decided it was time for her to move out and Soos decided it would probably be better to get a normal house for him and his wife. Melody had helped abuelita pick out an apartment in town and was helping her move out as Soos moved his and Melody's things to their new house down the road. In the meantime, she slept with Soos in Stan's old room. The Grunkles would stay in Ford's old room upon their arrival. Well - Stan would. Ford would probably continue his habit of falling asleep on the basement bed downstairs most nights. Melody smiled warmly at the twins. Mabel immediately went over to her and started talking to her about the upcoming wedding. They had decided to hold it towards the end of summer. Mabel had nearly exploded when she first heard that Soos had proposed. Melody chuckled as Mabel gushed over potential locations and decorations. Dipper tried to zone her out so he could focus on his conversation with Soos.

"So tomorrow right? Any idea what time?"

"Nope. Probably early if Doctor Ford has his way." Though Dipper hated waking up early, he secretly hoped they got here as soon as possible. He couldn't wait to interrogate Ford about their adventures overseas.

A motorcycle revved loudly as it skidded into the parking lot - cutting off both conversations. Dipper smiled as he ran out the door. Loose gravel flew through the air as the cycle stopped. Its' rider took off her helmet, shaking her long red hair out. Wendy grinned down at the twins as she dismounted her ride. They all hugged. Dipper took of his hat and exchanged it with Wendy, continuing their hat-swap tradition. Her red motorcycle gleamed in the light - freshly waxed. She had finally saved up enough for it after years of working at the Mystery Shack. It was her prized possession. She still worked at the Mystery Shack during the summer. She had remained good friends with the Pines over the years. Dipper's crush over her was long-gone, for real this time. They were comfortable friends now - comfortable enough to tease each other about Dipper's previous crush.

"How have you losers been doing?" she asked. "High school been going good?" They shrugged.

"It's okay as long as Dipper lets me cheat off him!" Mabel laughed. "Some of my classes are actually pretty tough."

"It's not so bad." Dipper liked most of his classes. He was determined to take as many advanced courses as possible - so he crammed his schedule with all the college-level or advanced placement courses he could. He joined all the science clubs and math clubs he could, as well as a cinematography and art club. Needless to say, he didn't sleep much anymore. But who needed sleep when you could stay up all night studying advanced trigonometry or learning how to photograph specimens? Not that there was that much weird stuff in California anyway. The weirdest thing he often found to photograph or draw were tourists. He had hauled his camera equipment in hopes of capturing some good images for his journal. He was torn between liking to draw the anomalies he found, but pictures often captured more detail than a pencil could.

"How is college Wendy?" Mabel asked as they walked inside.

"Trade school man - and it's cool." Wendy had opted out of college and her family's usual trade, choosing instead to be a welder. She was now eighteen. She had gotten her GED and escaped the town a year earlier than the rest of her friends - who were graduating that year. She parked her motorcycle and walked the twins inside as they exchanged stories. Night came soon after and she drove home. Tired from their long bus ride - the twins went to bed early.

. . .

A car honking at six the next morning awakened them like a gunshot. Dipper jumped out of bed, dragging his sister to her feet as she grumbled something about a good dream about a blue-haired boy. She woke up soon enough as they saw the beat-up red car in the parking lot.

"Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Ford!" The twins sprinted up to their Grunkles as they spilled out of Stan's old Diablo. Dipper ran to Ford first, going on a mile a minute about what he had learned in his cinematography class and his ideas for more adventuring that summer. Stan coughed as Mabel squeezed him too hard. He chuckled, ruffling her hair.

"Good to see you too kiddo, but don't kill me before I even get in the door. I need some coffee. Or maybe some vodka after that car ride," he grumbled, glaring at his twin. Mabel sheepishly let go, giving him some space to breathe. Ford stuck out his tongue at his twin.

"There's less cars on the road at night. And less cops," he pointed out.

"Doesn't mean it's a good idea to drive a 100 on mountain roads." Ford rolled his eyes.

"I'm still a better driver than you." The twins switched Grunkles and then helped them carry their stuff inside. Dipper noticed that their bags still smelled of sea salt . . . and weird chemicals. Ford had sent Dipper letters outlining their adventures - but nothing close to the detail Dipper wanted to hear them in.

"Okay, you've got to tell me everything!" Dipper demanded, nearly stepping on Ford's heels as they walked in the door. "You never explained how -"

"Jeez Dipper, let the man sit down for a minute before you start pestering him," Stan interrupted, heading straight for the coffee maker, rubbing his nose as if he had a headache. Ford rolled his eyes.

"He's grumpy from the long drive. But let me get some of my stuff unpacked first and then I'll show you some the cool stuff we brought back!"

"Speaking of driving," Mabel drawled. "You've gotta teach us how to drive this summer!"

"Are you two old enough to have permits?" Ford asked.

"Nope! But we will be by the end of the summer!"

"There is absolutely no way I'm letting my brother teach you how to drive!" Stan and Ford said simultaneously.

"You both can! I'll take Grunkle Ford and Dipper can have Grunkle Stan!"

"Uh - I'll take Grunkle Ford - thanks," Dipper said. Ford beamed as Stan scowled.

"Just for that - I'm going to take you first!"

"Let's go right now!" Mabel cheered. The older twins exchanged a look.

"Well . . . it's still early enough that cops won't be out and about," Ford said. "And I doubt you'll be willing to get up early any other day this summer." Stan rolled his eyes.

"One time," he said warningly. "That's it!" Mabel grinned. She and Ford entered the old Diablo first.

"Okay," Ford said, launching into a long conversation about what each button on the console did. Mabel listened for about thirty seconds before slamming down on the gas pedal, eliciting a high-pitched scream from Ford as the car peeled out of the parking lot. By the time they arrived back, Ford had seen his life flash before his eyes too many times to count.

"Never again," he muttered. Stan and Dipper took their places. Dipper waited for his Grunkle to explain what to do as Stan sat silently.

"What?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to tell me what to do?"

"Gas means go. Brake means stop. Move the wheel to turn. Driving's not that hard, Kid." Dipper took a deep breath and lightly pressed the gas. The car moved at a crawl around the parking lot until Stan got bored and demanded to get out.

"What? I was being careful!" Dipper protested. "Someone in this family has to be!"

"I'm going straight to bed!" Stanley announced as they walked back inside the Shack. "We're stuck all summer with you two . . . you'll see enough of me in the next few months." Mabel fake-pouted.

"Aw - that's not true! We love you Grunkle Stan!" She suffocated him in another hug. Stan rolled his eyes but one who knew him well could very well see the soft look in his eyes as he patted her head.

"Yeah, yeah, let me sleep, Weirdo."

GLSSHU **D** QG ZHQGB VKDUH IODQQHO VKLUWV.

Author Note:

Hey guys! Thanks for reading. I just wanted to say that I pulled from several different Gravity Falls fandoms as well as CMVs and other youtube animations and all the credit goes back to the original creators. I also included a lot of different song lyrics. I also make fun of a lot of the more typical ships – so don't get too offended – it's all meant in good fun. There is also gore and weird stuff that happens – so be warned if you are squeamish. Other than that – have fun and keep it weird.

~MAB:) 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Stan slept like the dead for the rest of that day while Ford and Dipper fangirled over their most recent travels. Mabel tried to linger but quickly grew bored of all their nerd-talk, opting instead to work on her latest sweater.

Stan finally woke up around nine that night, still looking like a zombie as he ambled into the kitchen, muttering under his breath. Ford frowned in his direction as he beelined for the coffee maker, dark bags framing his eyes. He had noticed his brother looking more tired than usual the last few days of their trip - but he wasn't usually this out of it. Dipper noticed it too but kept his mouth shut. Annoying his Grunkle when he was tired was about as good of an idea as looking into a gremloblin's eyes.

"You okay, Stanley?" Ford asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Mind your own business, Poindexter." Dipper smiled to see that his Grunkles hadn't changed in the slightest over the past school year. He could always trust them to stay constant - even when the world was ending.

Grunkle Stan suddenly collapsed to the ground, his coffee mug shattering as it hit the floor.

"Stanley!" Ford paled and ran to his brother's side, checking his pulse. He frowned and rolled his brother over. The smile vanished from Mabel's face as she ran to his head. Dipper watched anxiously. Stan was still breathing, but his breaths seemed labored. His skin was slick with sweat and paler than normal. He twitched, jerking his head from side to side. Dipper stood beside Ford, feeling his own hands start to sweat.

"W-what's wrong with him?" Dipper stuttered.

"I don't know. Help me get him to his chair." Together, they lifted Stan from the ground and set him down in his chair. His head continued to jerk from side to side, and he muttered under his breath.

"Stan! Stan wake up, snap out of it!" Ford yelled, waving his hand in front of Stan's face.

" _JQLPRFPL_!" Stan suddenly shook his head, slowly blinking up at everyone.

"Hey, what's everyone staring at?" he asked. "Where'd my coffee go?" Ford furrowed his brow.

"You just collapsed," Ford said. "And were just speaking nonsense. You don't remember any of that?" Stan frowned and shook his head, holding his hands up.

"Look guys - I'm fine. I must've just stood up too fast or something - oh!" He winced as he bowed his head, holding his hand up to his eye. As he brought his hand away, crimson drops stained his pale skin. He clenched his hand as he looked back up at the family, holding his eye half shut. Blood slowly dripped from his left eye, as if he was crying blood. Mabel held on to Dipper's shoulder, looking away. Dipper patted her absentmindedly. She had never done well with gore.

"Wha - why is my eye bleeding? Sixer, what did you put in my coffee?" Stan attempted to joke. Ford looked like he had seen a ghost.

"I'm calling 911."

"What? There's no way I'm letting you give your money to those quacks! I'm fine!"

"Stanley, your eye is bleeding. That is _not_ fine."

"You're a doctor."

"Not that kind of doctor!" Ford snapped. Stan rolled his eyes. Or eye.

"You're not taking me to a doctor, Poindexter. It's just a little blood. I'll be fine." Ford looked like he was about to protest, but kept his mouth shut.

"Then you have to take it easy. No leaving the cabin." For a moment Stan looked like he was about to protest too, but suddenly seemed too tired to do so.

"Fine. I - I think I'm gonna hit the hay. Long day." He rose up from his chair and walked to his bedroom without so much as a stumble. The rest of the Pines stayed quiet after he disappeared.

"Uh, Grunkle Ford? Do you know what's going on?" Dipper asked. Ford pursed his lips.

"I suppose it's just an old man thing. We're not in our twenties anymore." Dipper narrowed his eyes. He saw straight through Ford's lie. "I suppose you two better be getting off to bed as well." Mabel took the hint and walked over to the stairs. Dipper however, crossed his arms and followed his Grunkle as he tried to slip down into the basement.

"I wasn't born yesterday," he said, sounding a bit harsher than he meant to. "What's really going on with him, Grunkle Ford?" Ford turned around to see his great nephew leaning against the stairs. He took a moment to observe just how much his nephew had changed over the past three years. Sure, he still didn't shower regularly and was still the more awkward twin, but he had also gotten much smarter. He was tackling his studies with the same gusto Ford had tackled his, the dark bags under his eyes illustrating just how little sleep he got. Ford chided himself to remind the boy to sleep more. This was supposed to be his vacation after all. _Hypocrite_. He was starting to grow taller than his twin. He was weedy and acne now marred his birthmark. He wasn't a kid anymore, as weird as it seemed to Ford. Dipper Pines was growing up. _And I don't need to treat you like a child_ , he thought.

"Sorry Dipper. I didn't want to worry you or Mabel." Dipper still looked down at him expectantly. Ford scratched at the back of his head, a nervous habit he seemed to have picked up from Stanley. "I really don't know what's wrong with him. But I'm a little hesitant to take him to a normal doctor in case this is something . . ."

"Abnormal?" Dipper finished. Ford smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Abnormal."

"Anything I can do to help you figure out what it might be?" Ford shook his head.

"Not at the moment." _You're not going to tell him about what happened the last time your left eye started bleeding randomly?_ His conscious mocked. Ford grit his teeth. _That's impossible_ , he thought, refusing to even let his brain go there. _Dipper doesn't need to know what because it's impossible. Believe me, I know the difference between the possible and impossible. We destroyed him. It_ can't _be that._

"Okay Grunkle Ford. I'll leave you alone. Goodnight." Dipper headed back up the basement stairs. Ford relaxed in slight relief. He loved his family. But Dipper understood his need to have alone time. In spite of all his years exploring the multiverse - he still wasn't good at handling people. The only other person he had been able to get along with as well as his family was . . . Fiddleford.

The thought of his old lab partner still made Ford sick with grief. Fiddleford had easily accepted his apology and insisted everything was water under the bridge, but Ford still felt responsible for his friend's mental demise. Of course - Fiddleford had regained many of his memories and was living in the fanciest house this side of the west coast . . . but did that really made up for living in a dump for over thirty years? _I need to go visit him soon_ , Ford decided as he descended into the elevator. _We're still friends, even if I make it awkward._

. . .

The next morning, Stan woke up, securing his old Man of Mystery eyepatch around his eye, claiming the light made it hurt worse. It was no longer bleeding, but the bags under Stan's eyes continued to get darker.

Ford fussed over him, annoying Stanley even more.

"Just let me watch TV, Sixer!" he protested. "That's not gonna kill me!" He quickly fell asleep on his chair, snoring rather loudly. Dipper convinced Ford to teach him how to shoot the old crossbow hanging on the wall by the front door. Mabel helped Wendy man the cash register as Soos ran the tours. The rest of the day passed by fairly normally. Wendy and Soos left for the day as Dipper and Ford arrived back, test tubes filled with various substances spilling out of their pockets.

"Mabel - you'll never guess what we found when we were out shooting!" He held up several of the test tubes to her face. She leaned away from them, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Not sure I wanna know, Dip-Dop." Dipper rolled his eyes as Ford walked over to Stanley - still snoring in his chair.

"Has he been asleep like this all day?" he asked. Mabel nodded.

"Wendy and I had a contest to see how many crackers we could stack on his forehead without noticing." Ford noted they had failed to pick up the fallen crackers around the chair. He scratched his head.

"Huh. Okay. Well - I'm gonna put these tubes in the basement and take a shower. Dipper - you should do the same." Dipper rolled his eyes but nevertheless handed his tubes off to Ford, turning to go up to the attic.

Stan suddenly coughed in his sleep, making everyone jump in surprise. Mabel laughed nervously.

"Must be having a bad dream," she offered, but nevertheless feeling her stomach sink. Dipper gasped as red started oozing out of the bottom of the eyepatch.

"Grunkle Ford!" he squeaked. Ford paled and ran over to his twin, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him.

"Stanley! Stanley, can you hear me? Wake up!" Ford was cut off as Stanley's eyes suddenly shot open, glowing bright blue. He levitated several feet into the air, limbs splayed out as if he was being crucified.

" _L-T-O-L-O-X-A,_ " he chanted before collapsing back in on himself, crumbling to the floor like a house of cards. Ford crouched beside his twin, shaking him awake. Stanley groaned, shivering.

"Wha-what's going on, Poindexter?" Ford lifted his twin back into the chair, his worry lines growing deeper.

"Definitely not normal," he said.

"Why did he just spell 'axolotl'?" Dipper asked.

"That's not what I heard," Mabel said.

"He spelled it backwards," Dipper said.

"Stanley, do you know anything about axolotls?" Stanley blinked up at his twin as if he had grown another head.

"Axel-what-now?" Ford sighed.

"That's a no."

"Grunkle Ford, what's going on?" Dipper asked. Ford frowned.

"I think we might have just gotten a clue as to where to find the answer," he said. He ran to the kitchen and returned with a rag, which he gently pressed against Stan's bleeding eye.

"Stan stay here for a few moments. And don't fall asleep." Stan didn't have the energy to argue. He just nodded, his skin pale and sweatier than normal. Mabel and Dipper followed Ford down to the basement.

"Do you know what's wrong with him?" Mabel asked.

"No," Ford admitted. "I've never seen anything remotely close to it before - but I think I may know a way to figure that out. While I was traveling through the multiverse - I came across a creature known as the Oracle. She was the one who installed this metal plate in my head," he said, a metal clanging noise accompanying his head tap. "She knew I was out to destroy Bill and wanted to help me. She was very wise and kind . . . and her castle was decorated in all manner of axolotl imagery. I suspect that if anyone in the multiverse knows anything about this axolotl - it will be her."

"Um, Grunkle Ford? How do you think we're going to get back out into the multiverse? Your portal is toast and besides - that leads to the nightmare realm. How do you suppose we reach whatever dimension this Oracle guy lives in?" Dipper asked.

"She," Ford corrected. "Dimension 52 to be exact. And . . . I have a tentative plan for that."

WKH DARORW **O** LV WKH FXWHVW RI DOO WKH PXOWLYHUVH JRGV.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Dipper raised his eyebrow as Ford finished explaining the origin of his 'super-bad-emergency-ONLY-don't-you- _dare_ -call-me-for-something-stupid-button'.

"You sure left that stuff out when you were telling us about your portal adventures," Dipper pointed out, arms crossed.

"Yeah well. You two were twelve. Even I know there are some things you shouldn't tell a twelve-year-old," Ford muttered, reddening briefly as he fingered the button. It looked like one of those buttons from the 'that was easy' commercial - only with the long name Ford had just read out to them engraved on the top.

"Yup." Ford seemed to be stalling to press the button. Mabel prodded him.

"C'mon, what are you waiting for?" Ford sighed.

"I'd rather not ask this guy for a favor," he said. "He definitely owes me - he's just a little difficult to deal with at times." Mabel waved her hand.

"Pshhh . . . I bet I can get this guy to cooperate easy-peasy!" she said confidently. Ford raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Eh . . . Well. Here goes nothing." He pressed on the button, wincing slightly as he did so. For a moment, absolutely nothing happened. Dipper raised his eyebrow.

"Um, Ford?"

"Just give him a minute." Sure enough, a few seconds later, a small spaceship crashed out of a vortex in the air, crash landing in the Mystery Shack parking lot. A car alarm sounded as it slid into the side of a van. Ford pocketed the button and cautiously walked over to the ship. Mabel and Dipper followed as the hole in the sky closed back up.

"Rick?" Ford called out. The door to the spaceship was suddenly kicked open, a small cascade of empty beer cans pouring out as it opened. Out stumbled a skinny man in a white lab coat. His spiked hair was light blue in color, matching his blue unibrow. Green stains marred his shirt. A ray-gun of sorts hung off his belt. He burped loudly and he threw his arms open.

"STANFORD! CRIPES YOU LOOK OLD." Ford laughed uncomfortably as he scratched the back of his head.

"Good to see you too, Rick." Dipper and Mabel exchanged a glance. They had never seen anyone so plastered in their life. Whatever green stuff that guy was drinking must've been stronger than any Earthly alcohol. Rick stumbled up to Ford, poking him in the chest.

"So, you pressed that button . . . what do you want?" he bellowed, burping once more.

"I need your portal gun," Ford said shortly. Rick stopped for a moment before bursting into laughter and slamming the gun hanging from his belt into Ford's hands.

"Anything for an old friend!" he slurred. Ford raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks."

"Anytime." He took another sip of his green liquid and stumbled back towards the ship. He somehow got it back up in the air and shot through another green hole in the sky. Ford blinked after he disappeared.

"Well that worked better than I thought it would. Must've gotten him at a good time."

"He was totally drunk," Mabel said. Ford shrugged as he attached the gun to his belt.

"Yeah well . . . probably better for us that he was."

"Wait - you're telling me that you have a friend who had access to a portal gun for all these years and you _just_ now asked him for one?" Dipper asked incredulously. "Why didn't Bill go after _him_?"

"Well, when I was with him, he was still building it. It was only after I moved on that I heard he had successfully created a prototype – although I also heard that it malfunctioned more often than not and would send you somewhere totally different than what you had typed in. I'm hoping this one works a little better." Ford examined the gun. "And Bill wouldn't have the patience to deal with someone like Rick anyways. Besides - I don't believe these can even take you to the nightmare realm. And besides all that - these really aren't supposed to exist at all. If we get caught with one of these . . . well let's not worry about that!" Ford said cheerfully. Mabel and Dipper exchanged a concerned look.

They went back inside. Ford knelt down and explained their plan to Stan. Under any other circumstance, he would have vehemently opposed, but even blinking was taking a usual amount of effort on his part. He could still feel blood oozing from his eye, and his headache throbbed like Rico had beaten him with a baseball bat.

Ford called Soos and asked him to come back and keep an eye on Stanley. He instructed his twin to stay awake as much as possible. Dipper and Mabel hugged Stan goodbye as Soos arrived, looking just as worried.

"You idiots better come back in one piece," Stan threatened, trying to sound as threatening as he could. Ford smiled.

"You can trust us." They shared a quick smile. Ford walked outside with Mabel and Dipper, the crossbow strapped to his back. Dipper had shoved his journal in his knapsack and clutched the straps, trying to ignore his sweaty hands. Mabel briefly thought about going inside and grabbing her camera, but decided she would rather not risk losing it. Ford typed in Dimension 52 into the portal gun and took a deep breath, aiming it in front of them.

"Well - here goes nothing." He pulled the trigger. A swirling green vortex opened in front of them. They all grabbed hands as they stepped through.

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

They crashed into the muddy ground, landing in an uncoordinated pile. They groaned as they slowly got to their feet. Dipper raised his eyebrow.  
"Um, did we just teleport outside the Mystery Shack?" he asked. The others turned and saw their familiar shack rising from the ground several yards away. Ford frowned.

"We should have passed into a new dimension." They stood up and began to tentatively wander. Ford bent down, eyeing some deer tracks in the soft dirt.

"I don't think these were here before." He stood up as a large shadow passed overhead. "But this definitely isn't dimension 52." He took a second glance at the portal gun, eyeing it before groaning. "That idiot! He gave me the prototype!" _Great_ , Dipper thought.

"HELLO!" Mabel shouted into the seemingly empty woods. "Anyone here?"  
"Mabel - shut up! We don't know what could be out here!" Dipper hissed. She rolled her eyes. The shadow passed by again. Ford suddenly collapsed to the dirt. A single dart protruded from his back. Before Dipper or Mabel could react - they were struck from the sky. They joined Ford on the dirt. Behind them, a huge winged creature landed. He hooked them in his sharp claws and took off into the sky.

. . .

The Pines woke up some hours later. Dipper groaned as he registered the pounding in his head. He slowly sat up, blinking before he registered his surroundings. He frantically nudged Mabel, who groaned as her eyes fluttered.

"What happened?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. Her eyes widened as she took in their surroundings. The Pines had awakened in a huge steel cage. Tufts of stale hay covered the concrete floor. The cage seemed to be in the middle of the Gravity Falls square. There was no one in sight. Vehicles littered the sides of the road - looking like they hadn't been used in years.

"Are you two okay?" The twins turned around to see Ford already conscious and standing on the other side of the cage. He was staring up intently at the top of the cage.

"We're fine. Just a headache. Any idea of what's going on?" Dipper asked, stumbling slightly as he rose to his feet.

"No. But whoever put us in here took all of our stuff." Dipper realized the crossbow was gone from Ford's back. His backpack and journal were MIA as well.

"Mabel - do you have any bobby pins in your hair?" Ford asked. "I see the lock. If we stand on each other's shoulders we should be able to reach it and pick it." Mabel triumphantly pulled one from her hair.

"Perfect! Okay Dipper, get on my shoulders, and Mabel you get on Dipper."

"Um . . . Grunkle Ford? You're not twenty anymore. Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't want to paralyze you." Ford rolled his eyes. Dipper sighed. "Just as stubborn as Grunkle Stan," Dipper muttered as he carefully climbed on Ford's shoulders, locking his legs around Ford's midsection. Mabel held the pin in her teeth as she climbed less gracefully on Dipper's shoulders.

"What was that?" Ford asked.

"Nothing."

"I can reach it!" The odd stack wobbled slightly as Mabel reached up and started tinkering with the lock. Sweat began to roll down Dipper's face. It certainly wasn't any cooler in this dimension.

"Hurry up Mabel!"

"Patience is a virtue!" she shot back. "Almost got . . . _ahh_!" Their stack slowly fell backwards as Mabel's body lurched away from the lock. They landed hard on the concrete floor.

The reason for Mabel's scream jumped down from the roof of the cage, standing on its' hind legs and folding its' arms. It glared at them with a slightly disapproving, slightly impressed gaze. Dipper's mouth fell open. For all intents and purposes - he would've assumed a gargoyle had unhinged its form from the nearby church and was now standing in front of them. It had dark grey skin and its' wings were flared out, the wingspan almost as long as the cage was. Its' eyes glowed a soft orange - no pupils to be seen.

"That was close. Kudos to you guys." Ford stood back up and grabbed the bars, clenching his teeth.

"Let us out of here and give us back our things this instant!" The gargoyle chuckled, waving Ford's crossbow in front of Ford like a cat toy.

"Not until you explain why you showed up here with this. What are you supposed to be? Poachers? Huh? Don't you try to lie to me." The eyes glowed brighter. Ford raised his eyebrow.

"Poachers? Why do you think we would be poachers?" Behind him, Mabel gasped and yanked on Dipper's sleeve. He turned around and gasped. All around them, other creatures had started oozing from the stores and buildings. There was not a single human in sight. Everyone was a sort of mythical creature straight out of one of Ford's journals.

"Yeah, poacher!" Ford frowned.

"We're not here hunting anything! That bow is for protection . . ." Ford looked around at the other townspeople. "Wait a minute . . ." He looked back at the gargoyle. Something about his facial expression and dress seemed familiar. He wore a slightly battered suit and a red fez.

"Stanley?" Ford whispered, blinking owlishly. "Is that you?" Another shape descended from the sky and landed beside the gargoyle. This one resembled more a lion. Yellow, orange, and blue striped wings grew from his shoulder blades. This one remained on all fours as he peered through his horn-rimmed glasses at the humans. Ford's jaw went slack.

"Dipper . . . it's us! I mean not us . . . but like . . ."

"They're all monsters," Dipper breathed. Every single person they saw was a citizen they knew from their home dimension - only having been transformed into some type of magical creature. Lazy Susan was some sort of cat lady . . . go figure. Manly Dan was now a manataur . . . again go figure. Robbie now sported black vulture wings. Soos appeared to be some sort of groundhog.

"What dimension did we land in?" Dipper sputtered. The sphinx cocked his head at Dipper's outburst.

"Did you say dimension? Is that was this is?" He held up Rick's portal gun. Ford's eyes widened as he saw it.

"Give me that!" He reached through the bars only to be growled at.

"That's why they're worried about poachers!" Mabel exclaimed. "They're all animals now! Or . . . we're all animals now."

"Who're you callin' an animal!" Cat Lazy Susan shouted, tail flicking in irritation. Dipper noticed her right eye wasn't shut.

"H-how did this happen?" Dipper whispered. The gargoyle folded his arms.

"You talk first." Ford crossed his arms.

"We're from dimension 46'\\. We don't want to cause any trouble. We're just looking for information for where to find the Axolotl." Whispering spread through the crowd. The gargoyle leaned forward, staring at Ford, his eyes glowing brighter for a few moments before fizzling back out.

"He's telling the truth," he grumbled. He took a key out of his suit and flew up to the top of the cage. He unlocked it. The Pines carefully walked out, cautiously eyeing the creatures around them, many of which were beasts of prey. Dipper shivered in spite of the head and wedged himself between Mabel and Ford, feeling more susceptible to the glares of the creatures around them than Mabel or Ford.

"Calm down kid, nothing's here gonna eat you. Well . . . maybe one or two things." The sphinx glared at the gargoyle.

"Ignore him. Come with us." The Pines followed the odd pair as they walked down the street. They eventually reached the Mystery Shack. Sphinx Ford pulled on a rope attached to the handle with his teeth and pulled it open, beckoning with his wings for the humans to enter first. They entered the Mystery Shack to find that it was basically the same as the one in their dimension, only with a few modifications. The remote was about three times its normal size. Additional cushions that reminded Dipper of oversized dog beds, _note to self, do not compare them to normal animals_ , littered the floor. The smell of various animal furs now mixed with the normal ones. The Pines sat in front of the TV as Gargoyle Stan settled himself on his chair, letting his wings drip over the sides. Sphinx Ford sat down beside the chair, curling his tail around them.

"So - I'm sure you all have some questions. This might be easiest if you describe your dimension to us first," Sphinx Ford said. The human Pines exchanged glances and tried to summarize the history of their odd town in a concise manner. The monster Pines tensed whenever Bill's name was mentioned. Sphinx Ford pursed his lips as they finished.

"I see." Human Ford crossed his arms.

"Your turn."

"Well - though our dimensions are similar - we do not have the same history. I would say that everything was the same up until my graduation from Backupsmore. I came here to investigate anomalies, but never attempted to build a portal. I invited Stanley here in an attempt to patch up old wounds, and he ended up staying here to help me with my research. Years later, Dipper and Mabel's parents sent them here for the summer to stay with us only for the _Fluvius Cantatis_ to flood . . . do you guys have the _Fluvius Cantatis_ in your dimension?" he asked.

"Not that we've discovered."

"Right. Well the _Fluvius Cantatis_ is a stream that appears randomly in the woods in different places. I had managed to locate it and was studying it when the rains came especially hard. The stream overflowed . . . drenching the entire town. It was the stream that turned us all into magical creatures, each person morphing into a form that suited their personality. By the time we had made sure no one was injured or freaking out too badly . . . the stream had disappeared again. To this day I have not been able to locate it," Sphinx Ford said ruefully, bowing his head, his ears drooping to the side.

"How long?" human Ford asked.

"Eh . . . about three years."

"What do you guys do when you go out in public?" Dipper asked.

"Well, everyone in town was transformed, save for Pacifica's parents and any servants in the mansion during the flood. Pacifica was hanging out with your magical counterparts when it happened," Ford said, smiling slight. "Going out in town isn't much of a problem. But outside . . . well that can't really happen anymore." Ford's eyes widened.

"Because of Gravity Fall's Law of . . ."

"Weirdness Magnetism," Sphinx Ford finished. "Yes. I'm afraid we are more or less trapped here - although tourists still come and go. We make it work."

"What about our parents?" Dipper asked. "How did you explain all this to them?"

"Well . . . I'm sure you can guess how your parents would react to such a thing," Sphinx Ford said slowly. "So we . . . never really did. In this dimension, your parents think you perished in the flood. They've never come down to visit, so they remain ignorant of the truth." Mabel's hands went to her mouth.

"That's so sad!" she murmured. Dipper ignored the uncomfortable knot in his stomach.

"It's how things had to be. But on a more important note - you said you were looking for the Axolotl." Human Ford nodded.

"What do you know about him?" Sphinx Ford blinked.

"Not much. No one really does - unless you've dealt with him personally."

"Is he good or evil?"

"It's difficult to classify things as purely 'good' or 'evil'. I would say he's mostly good. All I can really tell you is that he is a power of regeneration." _That makes sense_ , Dipper thought. _They can regenerate their limbs. Although there's lots of animals that can do that. Why not a starfish? Or salamander? I guess axolotls are salamanders._

"Where do we find him?" Ford asked.

"No idea. I've heard a lot of interesting stories about the multiverse, but never one where someone encountered the Axolotl. Although . . . I think I may know a person who can put you on the right path."

"Who?"

"The Oracle. You heard of her?" Human Ford lit up.

"Of course! She's the one who installed the metal plate in my head to keep me safe from Bill reading my thoughts!" Ford banged on his metal head. Sphinx Ford smiled as much as a Sphinx could smile. "In fact - we were originally trying to go to dimension 52, but my portal gun malfunctioned."

"Good. She is definitely linked to the Axolotl. She may be able to help you in your journey. If there is anyone in the multiverse I would classify as 'good' - she would be it."

"Fantastic! I knew I was on the right track!" Human Ford looked like a kid on Christmas. Gargoyle Stan looked outside.

"You guys aren't planning on leaving now? It's getting kinda dark. You humans can't really see in the dark." Sphinx Ford rolled his eyes.

"I understand if you all are crunched for time. But if you would like to stay the night - you are more than welcome to." Mabel smiled.

"I want to meet my magical version of myself! Where is she?"

"Probably trotting around the woods with Dipper," Gargoyle Stan answered. He whistled through his fingers. Mabel dragged Dipper off the carpet as she ran out the door. Human Ford stayed behind.

"Can I see your lab?"

"Of course! I bet we can fix the calibration issue on your gun as well!" Mabel looked around the trees as a large shape materialized from between the trees. Mabel squealed in such a high pitch Dipper had to cover his ears.

"I'M A UNICORN!"

"They're from another dimension, Sweetheart!" Gargoyle Stan yelled out the window. This was all that was needed to wipe the confused look off of Unicorn Mabel's face.

"COOL!" she squealed, trotting up to the two. Mabel stared unabashedly at her counterpart. She was half unicorn half human . . . whatever word you used to describe such a creature. Was there? Her horse half was pure white. Her tail glittered with every swish. She still wore a bright sweater on her human half, and her long hair was artfully braided to the side.

"Oh my gosh, you are so pretty!" human Mabel squealed. "Can I pet you!"

"Of course!" The two girls gushed over each other as Dipper looked out into the woods, hands shoved in his pockets. He wondered with slight worry as to what his counterpart was. Surely twins would morph into similar creatures - right? Grunkle Stan and Ford were kinda similar. They were cool, whatever they were. Was Dipper's counterpart cool? He was too afraid to ask.

"How old are you?" human Mabel asked.

"Fifteen. You?"

"Same! Ahh - this is so cool!"

"Do you know where my counterpart is?" he asked Unicorn Mabel.

"Nope. Probably out in the woods doing some nerd thing. He should be back soon though. Maybe." He nodded and plopped down on the porch, letting the girls have their fun fangirling over each other. After a while they decided to go inside so Unicorn Mabel could show Mabel her version of their scrapbook. They returned inside to see human Ford in deep conversation with his counterpart, his brow crease getting deeper and deeper. The improved portal gun lay on the carpet. Sphinx Ford turned around as they entered.

"Where is Dipper? The other one?" Sphinx Ford asked. Unicorn Mabel shrugged and looked at the clock.

"Oh - it's getting kinda late. Should I go call for him?"

"What moon phase is it?" Sphinx Ford asked. Mabel's eyes widened.

"Oh no!"

"You forgot to remind him!" Ford growled. Mabel's ears drew back in guilt.

"I'm sorry!"

"Wait - why does the full moon matter?" human Dipper asked. The creatures exchanged glances.

"I'm sure you know Wendy Corduroy in your dimension. She's a werewolf here. I'm sure you can imagine her state during a full moon. She doesn't exactly have control over their hunting urges when she transforms. Mabel was supposed to remind Dipper not to stay out late tonight," Ford said pointedly.

"Dipper's smart!" Mabel protested. "I shouldn't have to remind him of anything!" Dipper began to sweat.  
"Why would my counterpart have to worry about werewolves being about?" he asked. _Please don't tell me I'm a bunny or anything wimpy like that!_ The others ignored his question. Grunkle Stan lurched to his feet.

"Whelp - I'll go look for the little devil before he gets his little rump eaten." _Little rump? Oh no - I am a bunny - aren't I?_ Dipper thought with dread.

"You're not going out there by yourself!" Sphinx Ford protested. Stan rolled his eyes.

"No offense, Sixer, but you can't see in the dark as well as I can. And your skin isn't made of stone. You stay here with the others and if I'm not back in a few hours - then start breaking out the silver crossbow." _He has a silver crossbow?_ Dipper thought. _Of course he does_. Stan disappeared out the door. Dipper spied the crossbow hanging on the wall the same place it normally did in their dimension. The Fords sighed.

"Well while we're waiting - I might as well tell you what we've been talking about. Dipper, Mabel, are you two listening?" By the time human Ford turned around, Dipper had taken the silver crossbow off the wall and disappeared out into the night.

ERWK IRUGV **W** RRN GQD VDPSOHV IURP HDFK RWKHU ZKLOH WKHB ZHUHQ'W ORRNLQJ.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

He slunk along in the darkness, having no clue where to even begin looking for his counterpart. Heck - he didn't even know what he was looking for. But there was no way he was going to be made fun of for having a wimpy counterpart. Even if his counterpart was a wimp - he didn't have to be. If he rescued his counterpart from a werewolf - no one would dare tease him!

He stumbled upon a clearing. The bright moonlight lit up the clearing enough so Dipper didn't need his flashlight. He clicked it off and saw two figures standing in the clearing. One he recognized immediately. Wendy attempted to itch behind her ear - which simple task was made difficult by the chains holding her arms out by her sides. The chains had been looped around several trees. Even so, she sat calmly on the ground, as human looking as ever, looking up at the other figure. Dipper recognized his pine tree logo before the rest of him.

 _Oh_ , he thought. _Well, it could be worse._ He was a cervitaur. An eight-point rack grew from between his human curls. He wore the same red plaid flannel shirt but without the white t-shirt. He was nose-deep in a red journal. A leather saddle bag hung off of his withers, cinched around his middle. It looked like the pine tree logo from his trucker hat had been sewn onto the side of the bag. The original cap itself was MIA. Wendy sighed.

"Dipper - I'm really not sure this is a good idea. Maybe you should just go home." Dipper shushed her.

"I'm about . . . 60 percent sure this will work. Trust me." She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But when I eat your fluffy butt tonight - your family can't be mad at me tomorrow!" Dipper's tail twitched in annoyance. Human Dipper took a step closer and felt his foot break a stick. His counterpart jumped a foot in the air, almost dropping the journal, his little tail sticking straight up. Dipper sighed. O _kay, maybe not super manly. How manly can deer be anyway?_ He waved awkwardly, taking a few steps closer.

"Sup guys. Long story short - I'm your counterpart from another dimension. The others are worried about you - Dipper," he said. The cervitaur blinked.

"Oh. Well - weirder things have happened." He cast a look at the cloudy sky. "But tonight's probably not the best night for you to be out right now."

"What are you trying to do?" human Dipper asked.

"I think I might have created a spell that will allow Wendy to keep her mental state when she transforms! So, we're testing it out."

"And if it doesn't work?" Dipper asked.

"Well, I can run pretty fast," cervitaur Dipper laughed, a slight edge to his voice. "You however . . ." His words were cut off as Wendy groaned, bracing herself against the chains. A growl escaped her lips as her body began to contort. The full moon shone brightly through the trees. Her back hunched as bright red shot through her skin. Her hands and feet grew longer, sharp black claws digging into the dirt. Her nose stretched into a muzzle, and she opened her eyes to reveal angry green eyes. She stopped growing and slumped in the chains, panting and whining. Dipper took a deep breath and pointed at her. He muttered in a language Dipper didn't understand. Sparks flew from his fingers and fizzled in the air. Cervitaur Dipper slipped the journal into the saddlebag and carefully walked up to Wendy.

"Wendy? Can you hear me?" he asked. "Are you okay? Can you understand me?" The werewolf looked up and blinked. In a flash, she lunged forward, scraping a clawed paw across Dipper's chest. He yelped and jumped backwards as she fought against the chains, foam dripping from her mouth. He groaned.

"And that's a no. Stupid Gideon. He probably gave me the wrong curse on purpose!" he spat, stamping his foot in irritation. "Never trust a vampire kid. They're shiftier than Gargrunkle Stan ever was." Dipper stifled a laugh at his counterpart Grunkle's name.

"Well - we might as well head back now," cervitaur Dipper said disappointedly. His deer ears dropped as Dipper followed him through the woods. They walked in silence for a while before Dipper spoke up.

"Why were you trying to help her? I thought you guys would be like . . . mortal enemies or something?"

"Haha - of course not! We're friends. When she's not trying to eat me," he admitted. "I mean several townspeople have tried to eat me before - so it's no big deal. She feels terrible about her condition when she changes - so I've been trying to help her figure out a way to keep her mind."

"Do you . . . like her?" Dipper asked, flushing suddenly. "I mean - back in our dimension - I had a crush on Wendy for a summer - not anymore - a few years ago."

"Huh. No - I've never liked her like that. We're just friends," Dipper said. "Guess I didn't have that much time to develop a crush on her before the _Fluvius_ flooded. A werewolf and a cervitaur hooking up would be pretty weird." He still sounded upset. Dipper patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey man - don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll figure out something." He sighed.

"Yeah . . . I just don't want to get made fun of anymore. I've been trying to figure something out for months - and nothing seems to work. Gargrunkle Stan keeps making fun of me." Dipper blinked in surprise. _I never thought my counterpart would have self-esteem issues,_ he thought.

"Hey - I get made fun of in my dimension too. You just can't listen to people who put you down," he said, surprising himself with his own words. Cervitaur Dipper smiled.

"Yeah - you're right." _And I can't let people making fun of my manliness get to me anymore, Dipper thought. Who cares if I'm a little pimply and sweaty? I'm still cool. Cervitaurs are pretty cool. I'm not a total waste of space._

They stepped through the tree line and were within sight of the Mystery Shack when they heard a snap behind them. Cervitaur Dipper jumped at least a foot into the air again before settling down.

"Everything okay man?" Dipper asked. Cervitaur Dipper frowned and sniffed, suddenly going pale.

"Oh no - get to the house - now!"

"What?" Dipper shoved human Dipper towards the house and backed away from the trees as Wendy leapt down from a tree branch, her wrists bloody and free from chains. She growled, saliva dripping from her teeth as she stalked cervitaur Dipper. He held up his hands, his voice surprisingly calm for how much his knees were trembling.

"Wendy, listen to me. I know you're in there somewhere!" Wendy threw her head back and howled. The door to the Mystery Shack slammed open, out spilling the Fords and Mabels. They gasped when they saw cervitaur Dipper slowly being backed against the house, looking very much like a deer in headlights.

"Dipper! You idiot - what did you try to do!" Unicorn Mabel shouted. Dipper fumbled and loaded the crossbow in his hands.

"I've got the silver crossbow!" he shouted.

"Don't shoot her! It'll kill her!" cervitaur Dipper protested.

"It's either her or us man!" Cervitaur Dipper grit his teeth and quit moving backwards, scraping the ground with a hoof.

"No." He lowered his head and charged the werewolf. They collided in a mess of fur and claws and horns, growling and shouting as they wrestled for the upper hand. The Fords stood frozen as they watched the fight. Wendy knocked cervitaur Dipper to the ground and grabbed him by the ankle. He cried out in pain, clawing the dirt as she dragged him. Human Dipper grit his teeth and charged the werewolf, wrapping her in a headlock, grabbing at anything his fingers could reach. He found her ear and pulled as hard as he could, eliciting a painful howl. Distracted, she dropped cervitaur Dipper and turned her attention on human Dipper. She shook, trying to shake Dipper off of her head. Dipper clung on with all his might, adrenaline giving him new energy and strength he didn't know he had. Cervitaur Dipper scrambled to his feet, or at least three of them, one of them barely able to hold any weight. Dipper finally lost his grip on Wendy's neck and was slammed to the ground, pinned by Wendy's massive paws. Droll dripped onto his shirt as he looked up into Wendy's jaws. _Whelp - at least this is a cool way to go out,_ he thought. Cervitaur Dipper froze and then picked up the fallen crossbow, aiming it right for Wendy's heart.

"Don't you dare Wendy Corduroy!" he shouted, finger resting on the trigger, his ears pinned flat against his head. Wendy looked up. Human Dipper held his breath and waited for hot fangs to tear apart his flesh but nothing happened. He opened his eyes to see Wendy staring wide-eyed at cervitaur Dipper. Ever so slowly - she backed away and sat back on her haunches, her ears drooping off the side of her hair. Cervitaur Dipper lowered his weapon.  
"Wendy? Can you . . . hear me?" he asked. The werewolf nodded. Dipper wasted no time in scrambling away from the creature, heart still hammering in his chest. He wheezed as cervitaur Dipper dropped the crossbow and walked up to Wendy.

"Incredible. I guess the image of me about to shoot you startled you back into reality," he said, smiling. Wendy whined and licked Dipper's chest. He giggled and shied away, surveying his shredded shirt.

"Ew. Dog breath much?" She gave a playful growl and swatted Dipper with her tail. Dipper shakily got to his feet and found himself being crushed in a hug by his twin.

"I thought you were goner!" He patted his sister on the back.  
"So did I."

"That was incredible Dipper!" Sphinx Ford gushed. "Both Dippers!" Cervitaur Dipper blushed. "But we should really get you cleaned up," Sphinx Ford said.

"I'll catch up with you Wendy," cervitaur Dipper said, limping back towards the house. Wendy slunk back towards the woods as Unicorn Mabel helped her brother walk towards the door. He collapsed on the kitchen floor, wincing as Mabel unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the claw marks on his chest. Gargoyle . . . or Gargrunkle Stan landed outside and walked in the kitchen.

"Well, couldn't find the little twerp . . . wait Dipper? What the heck did you do?" he snarled. "Not trying to tame that werewolf again I hope?"

"It worked this time!" he protested as Mabel wiped the blood off his chest. Gargrunkle Stan growled something under his breath as Sphinx Ford handed Mabel a bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

"Yeah - it was actually pretty cool!" human Dipper chipped in. Gargrunkle Stan crossed his arms as Mabel rewrapped the wounds on Dipper's chest and started working on his injured ankle. Dipper had the feeling Unicorn Mabel was used to doing this type of thing. Just how many perilous situations had his counterpart put himself in to prove himself? As far as Dipper could tell, he was one of the only prey animals in town. He had said other townspeople had tried to eat him before? No wonder he was out to prove himself.

 _No wonder_ you're _out to prove yourself_ , Dipper thought to himself. Unicorn Mabel finally let cervitaur Dipper stand up. He was still wearing a cocky smile as he limped.

"Go to bed before you get yourself eaten!" Gargrunkle Stan barked.

"I'll help you up," human Dipper offered, letting his counterpart lean on him. The staircase to the attic had been turned into a wooden ramp. Dipper couldn't imagine trying to walk down stairs with four legs to worry about. He had tripped enough on his regular two. He made a mental note to ask how long it had taken his counterpart to adjust to being quad-petal.

"Thanks man," his counterpart said, coming to rest on a large dog bed on the ground. The beds had been moved out of the room. The ceiling was scraped in various places.

"No problem. I wish we had more time to get to know each other before we had to leave. Grunkle Ford will probably want to leave first thing in the morning," human Dipper said.

"Hey - our Grunkles are smart. Maybe they'll figure out a way for us to communicate. Even if they don't, we seem pretty similar," cervitaur Dipper smiled.

"We do." He turned to walk out of the room but paused in the doorway. His counterpart had never had to go adventuring in Grunkle Stan's mind; he had never seen that memory that proved Grunkle Stan really did care about his great-nephew. "Hey man, don't worry about Grunkle Stan. He's tough on you because he cares - I promise." Cervitaur Dipper smiled. "Oh - and one more thing. What is Pacifica's magical-creature form?" Cervitaur Dipper smirked ever so slightly.

"A gorgon." Dipper smiled. _Oh - I'm never gonna let her live that down._

. . .

They departed early that next morning. The Mabels bid each other tearful goodbyes and wouldn't be appeased until the Grunkles promised to try to figure out a way for them to exchange letters or something. The Fords pretended like it was a hassle but everyone knew they were sad to see each other go as well. It was nice to talk about their research together with someone who was literally on their level and understood their weird quirks and tendencies. Even Gargrunkle Stan looked sad to see them go.

"Make sure to give Bill an extra kick in the pants for me," he muttered to Dipper. Dipper raised his eyebrow. _We already defeated Bill_ , he thought. _That's not what we have to save the world from this time._ But he didn't bother to correct him.

Ford shot the portal gun, this time having it directed to Dimension 52. They waved goodbye to their counterparts and stepped through the swirling vortex once more.

FHUYLWDXU GLSSHU OLHG DERXW KDYLQJ D FUXVK RQ **Z** HQGB.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

They didn't land any more gracefully in this dimension than they had in the last one, only in this one they face planted on a cobblestone driveway. Dipper groaned, vaguely wondering if his nose was broken as he stood up. They stood up to see a towering castle in the distance. Ford squared his shoulders and straightened his belt. Dipper unconsciously did the same.

"How do we get up there?" Mabel asked. The castle was surrounded by a huge stone wall with no discernable entrances or gates.

"She knows we're here, don't worry," Ford said. Almost as if on cue, the ground underneath them turned pink. Dipper gasped as they sank through the ground only to appear on a stone balcony. He looked over the edge to see they had teleported from the cobblestone driveway to the side of the castle.

"Stanford Pines. I'm pleased to see you here." The Pines turned around to see a tall lady in a cloaked hood standing in the entryway. Six additional eyes graced her broad forehead. Ford immediately bowed. Mabel and Dipper copied him, trying to look more professional than they felt in their dirty clothes and smudged faces. The Oracle smiled and bowed back. They all straightened up.

"I know why you're here," she said, cutting right to the chase. "But I warn you - you may not like what the Axolotl has to say."

"We still must know," Ford said. "Unless you would rather just tell us?" She smiled softly and shook her head.

"I will take you to the Axolotl. He is a close friend of mine, and certainly means the best." _Means the best? That's a slippery slope,_ Dipper thought. He kept his mouth shut. The room before them began to fizzle and it was slowly transformed into a place that seemed like it would be a part of Mabel's prison bubble. The atmosphere . . . if you could even call it that . . . wait could they even breathe in here? _In. Out. Yup - they could_ . . . seemed composed of foggy cotton candy the color of different galaxies. It was warm like the inside of a blanket. They floated in the quiet as a large shape materialized before them. _Wow, they really weren't being vague with the name here_ , Dipper thought. The Axolotl was literally, a huge axolotl about the size of a tour bus. The Oracle floated down by his head.

"The Pines family has requested to speak with you," she said. The Axolotl smiled.

"I know. You all may ask me one question. But please, have a seat on a beanbag chair, they are quite comfortable." Dipper scratched his head. For some reason this exchange felt very familiar, but he couldn't quite remember why. Ford swallowed as he took a seat.

"I came here concerning my brother, Stanley. Just recently he's been having fainting fits, and a few nights ago he went into a trance and started chanting your name. Can you tell me why?"

"There is another in the midst of your home that has enlisted my help."

"Help? What do you mean help?" Ford puzzled.

"You already asked your question." The Axolotl turned towards Dipper and Mabel. Dipper suddenly began to sweat. _Don't screw this up, man,_ he told himself. He cleared his throat but Mabel was already raising her hand.

"Who asked for your help?" she asked.

"Bill Cipher." The Pines' jaws dropped collectively. Dark memories of Weirdmaggedon washed through Dipper's brain, momentarily paralyzing him with terror and unforgettable memories. Ford's eyes were wider than they had ever been. The Axolotl's eyes turned to Dipper. He fumbled for a question that would answer all the millions running around in his head.

"What did Bill Cipher ask you to do?"

"He invoked my name." _And that's all you're going to say_ , Dipper thought. _That clarifies absolutely nothing_. He was about to start yelling about the unfair one question a person policy - it wasn't like this guy had a long line of people waiting to talk to him! The least he could do was give less cryptic answers! when the Oracle spoke up.

"And what happens when someone evokes your name?" the Oracle asked.

"They get a second chance." The meaning of the Axolotl's words slowly sank into their heads. Someone else in the Mystery Shack? Asking for help? Asking for a second chance? Bill Cipher? Ford's mouth hit the ground.

"Are you crazy! That's a terrible idea! Do you know how much evil Bill has done already! And you want to give him another chance! And put my brother at risk! My family!" The Oracle had to hold Ford back from rushing the Axolotl. Either way – the giant creature didn't seem phased.

"I would think you would understand the importance of second chances after all that happened with your twin." Ford deflated instantly. Dipper and Mabel exchanged concerned glances.

"So . . . how exactly is he going to come back?" Dipper asked. "When?" The Axolotl just smiled. The Oracle stood up and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for your time." The room began to dissolve once more. The cool castle air came as a shock to Dipper's system as they woke up on the floor on the balcony. The Oracle stood up, brushing dust off of her cloak. Ford was already up and ranting, his face red with rage.

"This is ridiculous!" Ford ranted, nervously pacing across the Oracle's balcony. "You all should know better than anyone how dangerous Bill is! How on earth you can justify bringing him back just in case he decided to switch teams is completely and utterly beyond me! When is he coming back? How? Why is my brother involved in this?" Ford shouted. The Oracle smiled patiently.

"Bill is coming soon - as I'm sure you might have guessed. I do not know how. Your brother is involved simply because he was Bill's final resting place - so to speak."

"So much for 'final'," Dipper muttered, crossing his arms.

"How do we destroy him?" Ford demanded.

"Destroy him? The point of all this is to redeem him." Ford opened his mouth to start shouting once again before the Oracle shushed him. Ford's face fell, and for a second, he looked like a kicked puppy.

"It is going to hurt my brother when he comes back?" he whispered.

"I do not know." Ford struggled to maintain his composure as he continued pacing. Mabel gave Dipper a worried look. He grabbed her hand as he struggled to stay composed himself. He knew Ford's history with Bill had been a lot more personal and heartbreaking than Dipper's. "I may have a weapon you can use to bring Bill back to normal," the Oracle added. Ford stopped pacing and spun to face her.

"What is it?" he asked. The Oracle raised her hand. In the space in front of Ford appeared a window. The Pines looked inside and saw a bird's eye view of what appeared to be the Tent of Telepathy.

"His name is Will."

GSC LIZXOV UVZIH GSC ZCLOLGO NZWV Z N **R** HGZPV.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

This time, the Pines didn't remember hopping through a portal. They woke up in the woods Dipper recognized as being close to the gremloblin's lair. A quick check of Ford's portal device revealed them to be in the -46,/ dimension. Several other things had been added to his bag. He held up a box with three bracelets inside. A note scrawled on the top of the box informed them that the bracelets made the invisible as well as un-smell-able and basically undetectable in any aspect.

"Wonder why she would give us these?" Mabel asked as she slipped hers on, immediately disappearing from sight. Dipper and Ford slipped theirs on. They could see each other as long as they were all wearing the bracelets.

"Obviously we're in a dimension where such things are needed," Ford grumbled. "Let's go. The sooner we find this 'Will' character - the sooner we can get back." Dipper wanted to say something to help his Grunkle feel better, but words failed him. Mabel was always better at that stuff anyway, and even she was silent. They trekked through the woods in silence.

"Maybe we should head towards the Tent of Telepathy," Dipper suggested. "That's what we saw right before the Oracle sent us here." Ford nodded.

They walked out of the woods and headed down the street towards Gideon's tent. Dipper couldn't help but notice that the town looked different. The people weren't stopping to talk to each other on the sidewalk like they normally did. In fact, the entire town seemed . . . colder. Like a five-degree temperature drop from what it normally was - not that Dipper was going to complain about that. None of them had brought deodorant on this trip.

The Tent of Telepathy wasn't in its normal location. They backtracked to the town square.

"Let's see if anyone in the store knows where it is," Mabel suggested. They slipped into the General Store and weaved around the patrons. Ford spied the clothing section and disappeared for a few moments, coming back with a scarf and hat tucked under his arm.

They watched as a tall, thin figure walked into the store. The temperature seemed to drop several more degrees. The other shoppers turned their heads and quickly turned back the other way, picking up their goods and all but running in the other direction. The figure wore a long-sleeved white button up shirt tucked into black dress pants. Every line of the fabric was perfectly pressed and creased. His black dress shoes clicked lightly on the floor. His hair started off black on the back of his head and slowly faded to a lively blue as it fell over his eyes . . . well eye. An inverted triangular eyepatch covered his left one. He tried his best to keep his gaze trained on the floor as he grabbed a cart and started searching for things written on a note shoved in his pocket. Wherever he walked, the shoppers scattered, giving him fearful and distrustful looks. The boy . . . man? teen hurriedly gathered the items on his list and went to check out. The cashier had paled noticeably. He handed a silver credit card. The cashier smiled and quickly bagged the goods.

"Don't even worry about it, Mister. Tell the Gleefuls we always love to see them at the Dusk2Dawn!" she said in a voice that squeaked. The teen put the card back in his pocket like he had expected such a thing to happen and rushed out the door. The entire store seemed to take a deep breath as he left.

Ford edged up beside another shopper, who was shaking their head and muttering. He wrapped the scarf around his face and donned the hat, slipping his bracelet into his trench coat pocket.

"Stupid, stupid."

"Excuse me," Ford said, disguising his voice. "Who was that kid who just walked in here?" The shopper looked at Ford with big eyes.

"You must not be around here." Ford grinned.

"Nope. Just visiting. We're tourists."

"You'd do well to visit the Tent of Telepathy," the man said in a voice and facial expression that expressed the exact opposite.

"O-okay," Ford said. "Do you know the young man's name?" The shopper shook his head and walked away from Ford, muttering under his breath. Ford slipped his bracelet back on, discarding the shoddy disguise.

"Ford! I see him! C'mon!" Ford ran out the shop to see Mabel pointing down the street, where the teen was walking towards the Northwest Mansion. Two people were trailing the kid. They silently trailed them around a bend. The two kids following Blue-hair shouted.

"Will, wait up!" Blue-hair froze and spun around, his face falling into an expression of despair as the other two approached him. He seemed to shrink in on himself, looking at the ground.

"Y-you guys are gonna get me in trouble," he whispered. The two kids stopped in front of him.

"We didn't get a chance to thank you the other day," one of them said as the Pines inched closer, still out of sight. Mabel gasped as the recognized the owner of the voice.

"That's Pacifica!"

"Only she doesn't look like a spoiled rich kid," Dipper muttered. Instead, Pacifica sported a tie-dye shirt that was way too bright and baggy blue jeans with holes in the knees. Her usually perfectly groomed blonde hair was curled slightly and frizzy. The shorter kid beside her looked worried.

"Okay Paz, that's enough." Dipper's jaw dropped.

"Why is Gideon wearing my hat?" he hissed. Gideon sported the same white hair only flattened down under a white and blue pine tree hat. He even wore the same shorts, shirt, and vest Dipper had worn a few years back. Pacifica gave Will another grateful smile. He huffed, shifting uncomfortably under their gazes.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your mouth shut about it," he muttered, turning on his heel and walking briskly down the street. Gideon rolled his eyes and pulled Pacifica back down the street.

"What is going on?" Mabel muttered.

"Doesn't matter," Ford said. "We've found our target, now we just need to grab him and get the heck out of here." The Pines continued to follow Will down the street. Will continued to walk until he reached the Northwest Manor. It still stood with the same haughty authority as in their original dimension. The only thing that had changed was the sprawling Tent of Telepathy cast to the ground in the huge yard in front of the metal gates.

Will walked up to the gates and typed in a code on a panel. The gate slowly swung open. The Pines hurriedly slipped in behind him. Dipper and Mabel remembered the mansion being covered in various taxidermy heads and expensive vases and paintings - but now it was decorated with various items one might've found in an occult store. Will hurried into the kitchen and began unloading groceries when a loud voice caused him to jump nearly a foot in the air.

"WILL." A large shape strode into the kitchen. This time, Ford was the one who gasped. Will slowly turned around, bowing slightly.

"Yes Master?"

"I trust you completed the errand I told you to run?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. Go ahead and get dinner started. There's a show tonight you know."

"Yes, Master." Ford snapped his jaw shut again as his other form walked out of the kitchen with a flare of his cape. All things considering, it looked like Ford had designed a suit equivalent to what Gideon might wear. The only thing that was different was long flowing cape descending from his shoulders. It was black on one side and galaxy patterned on the other. The logo of the Tent of Telepathy was stitched on the back. Will went back to his work preparing dinner. After a while, he rang a bell. The other Ford waltzed back in the kitchen along with three others. Mabel held on to Dipper's arm.

"This is like some sort of reverse world," she breathed. The reverse Dipper was wearing another blue outfit in the same style as reverse Ford's: a blue vest over a black shirt but without the fancy cape. Instead of combing his hair over his birthmark, he seemed to have purposely fluffed it up like he wanted to show it off. His nose was shoved in a navy journal with a golden six-fingered hand emblazoned on the front. Journal number one. Reverse Mabel was wearing a black unitard with black tights, another blue suit jacket and blue heels to top it off. Reverse Stan wore another blue suit - only lighter in color. Will served them quickly and quietly, keeping his eyes on the ground. The family didn't talk as they chewed, all seemingly lost in their own world. Reverse Dipper suddenly looked up at Will, his eyes dark and glittering.

"Will," he said. "Have you seen the journal? The second one?"

"No, Sir." Dipper blinked.

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yes." Will's voice trembled. Dipper flipped to a page in the journal and traced the words with his fingers. As Will turned back around, Dipper stood up from his seat and pointed at Will. He shouted an incantation, causing Will to yelp and collapse to the ground. A blue haze engulfed him.

"Where is my journal, Will?" Dipper shouted.

"Gideon and Pacifica have it!" Will wheezed. The haze vanished, and Will paled. Dipper waited a heart-wrenching moment before slamming the book shut and slowly walking over to the downed boy.

"And how exactly did they get it?" he hissed. He grabbed Will by the front of his shirt, lifting him off the ground. Will flinched and leaned away from Dipper, trying to pull his hand off his shirt. "You gave it to them, didn't you!" Dipper shouted, the veins bulging on his neck.

"Master p-please, I'm sorry!" Dipper threw Will back to the ground.

"I'll deal with you later," he snarled. "Stanley! Take him to the basement." _Since when did Dipper call Grunkle Stan Stanley?_ Mabel thought. Reverse Stan rolled his eyes and walked over to the cowering teen. He hoisted him up and dragged him down the hallway.

"Calm down Dipper," Reverse Mabel said, rolling her eyes. Dipper clenched his fists.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" he shouted. "That little traitor! We need to get that journal back!"

"And we will. Don't worry. Are you really scared of that stupid Gideon or Pacifica?" Dipper huffed, folding his arms.

"Of course not."

"Then quit freaking out. Time to put your show face on," Mabel said sweetly - a little too sweetly. Dipper rolled his eyes as he followed Mabel out the door. Reverse Ford followed them.

"I've got a plan!" Mabel said. "To the Mystery Shack!" The Pines jogged down the road until they reached the Mystery Shack. Sure enough, reverse Gideon and Pacifica lounged on the front porch. Reverse Gideon thumbed through Journal Two. The Pines slipped off their bracelets. Pacifica looked up and nudged Gideon, who upon noticing them, quickly shoved the journal in his vest. Mabel held up her hands.

"Whoa, calm down. We're not the same people who live in that fancy mansion. We're from another dimension!" she said. Ford rubbed his temple.

"Mabel - you can't just tell people you're from another dimension," he muttered. Gideon and Pacifica blinked up at them, confused. Ford walked forward and extended his hand.

"Well she is right enough. We are from another dimension. The opposite of yours actually. We came here to find someone named Will."

"There are other dimensions?" Pacifica asked. "Cool!"

"What do you want with Will Cipher?" Gideon asked suspiciously. "And why do you have my hat?" Dipper frowned.

"You have my hat!" he argued.

"Boys!" Mabel said sharply. "Focus." Gideon leaned back, chewing on his bottom lip.

"Okay - I'll bite. You guys are from another dimension. That still doesn't tell me what you want with Will."

"It's complicated," Ford said flatly. "If I tried to explain we'd be here all day. All you need to know is that he can help potentially defeat one of the greatest forces of evil in the entire multiverse." Gideon scoffed.

"Well then you obviously don't know Will that well. I mean he's a nice guy, but super wimpy. The bravest thing he's ever done was sneak us this journal."

"Why did he sneak you the journal?" Dipper asked.

"Probably wants us to help him escape," Pacifica said.

"Escape?"

"That Stanford Gleeful mage keeps him trapped there," Gideon said. "Something about a cursed chain? I don't know of anything that can break that." Ford eyes widened.

"May I see my journal?" he asked. Gideon's eyes widened.

"Your journal?"

"I wrote the same ones in our home dimension!" he snapped. Gideon pursed his lips but handed Ford the journal. He quickly thumbed through it, grinning as he found the correct page. He flicked on a black light and nodded.

"Of course!"

"What is it?" Dipper asked.

"I once discovered a blade that could cut through any curse! I buried it here in Gravity Falls because I doubted I would ever need it. If we're lucky, it might still be here!" Ford handed the journal back to Gideon.

"So - why are the townspeople here so afraid of us?" Mabel asked.

"They're the most powerful family in town," Gideon said. "They may use their little dream demon to do all their dirty work - but they're evil down to their bones. They'd maim or kill anyone to keep their methods locked away." Dipper suddenly thought of Will in the basement of the mansion, and his stomach flip-flopped.

"Thanks man, we owe you one!"

"You didn't hear any of this!" Mabel added as they jogged away. Pacifica and Gideon blinked at each other as the Pines suddenly vanished from sight.

"Well that was a weird dream," Gideon muttered, opening the journal once more. Pacifica laughed.

"You're too paranoid, Gids."

. . .

The Pines came to the spot in the woods where Ford remembered having buried the knife.

"What do we do if it's not here?" Dipper asked. "This Ford seems to have a lot more use for magical things than you do." Ford sighed.

"You appear to be right Dipper. It's not here. I can't believe my reverse is a _mage_." Mabel giggled.

"That bothers you?"

"Science is better than magic any day!" Ford protested.

"That must mean the knife in their house somewhere!" Mabel said. "C'mon, we've gotta go search the place!" Dipper began to feel the burn in his legs as they ran back up to the mansion. It was now dark, and the Tent was illuminated with all sorts of flashing lights. The lawn was overrun with people. Dipper and Mabel heard the vague outline of their reverses as they snuck through the gate and into the house.

"Hurry! I don't think we have much time!" The Pines scoured the property, which was now empty because of the show going on.

"I got it!" Mabel shouted from the other room. "Where's the basement?" They found a staircase and flew down, their footsteps echoing on the hard-stone floor. Groaning sounded from the darkness. Ford reached for his flashlight and the beam landed on a huddled figure on the floor. Apparently, their reverses hadn't waited to punish Will for his disobedience. He looked smaller than ever, and the blood made a sucking noise as they walked through it.

"Mabel do the honors," Ford said, getting the portal gun ready. "I'd rather not be caught here."

"Where am I supposed to cut?" she asked. "I don't see any chains!" Dipper nudged the teen's arm. For a brief moment, a blue cuff and subsequent chains was illuminated on Will's wrist.

"Why is everything here blue?" Dipper muttered. Mabel knelt down and stabbed the chain with the knife. It vanished. She stabbed the other one. Ford handed the portal gun to Dipper as he hoisted the boy in his arms. If he was still conscious - he didn't show it.

"Now Dipper!" Dipper shot the portal gun and they all stepped through it as a scream sounded behind them.

GSV IVEVIHV KR **M** VH GIRVW GL HFNNLM LGSVI WVNLMH YFG GSVB IVUFHVW GL ZMHDVI.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

They all stumbled through the portal, landing in a disorganized heap on the ground. The portal fizzled closed behind them. Mabel groaned, sitting up and rubbing her head. Dipper stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. Ford stood up, the young man still clutched in his arms. Ford let go and the boy's eyes - well - eye rolled back in his head as he collapsed to the floor, dead weight. Blood continued to leak from his chest at an alarming rate. Ford knelt down and rolled him over. The kid was deathly pale and limp as a rag doll. Ford frowned and started unbuttoning the kid's shirt, peeling off the layers of bloody clothing.

"Dipper, bring me my first aid kit. Hurry!" Dipper sprinted off to grab the kit. Soos jogged into the basement.

"You guys are back!" he said with relief.

"How long have we been gone? How is Stanley?" Ford asked.

"Two days and sleeping," Soos said apologetically. "He tried but just couldn't keep his eyes open." Ford sighed.

"I guess that's okay. We'll be up in a bit." Soos' eyes widened as he saw the teen lying on the ground.

"Oh dang dude - what happened?"

"We'll explain later!" Ford snapped. Soos took the hint and disappeared back upstairs. Ford turned his attention back to Will. The word 'useless' was carved into his pale skin, each letter bleeding profusely. Dipper returned with the kit and Ford set to work dressing the wounds. Mabel though she saw the boy's eyes fluttering occasionally but she couldn't be sure.

Ford wiped the sweat off his brow as he sat up, wiping his bloody hands on his pants. He checked the kid's pulse and nodded.

"He'll survive. Probably."

"Grunkle Ford, who is he?" Dipper asked. Ford frowned.

"I don't know for sure. But we need to be careful - he was a creature greatly feared in that other dimension. Mabel - can you fetch me some of that extra unicorn hair?" She wanted to say that there was no way this bleeding kid could be dangerous, but she grabbed the hair anyway. Ford taped a crude circle of the hair on the bloody ground around the kid, shoving the bloody clothes aside. Mabel took a step closer and saw other scars lacerating the boy's body. His chest seemed to be hesitating before every weak breath that he took.

"Dipper, do you mind sharing a spare shirt? He looks about your size." Dipper nodded and quickly returned with a white t-shirt. Ford re-dressed him.

"You're just going to leave him on the ground? Why don't you at least get him a blanket or something?" Mabel asked.

"I guess that should be fine," Ford said. Mabel grinned as she grabbed a blanket and carefully tucked it under the kid's limp body.

"What do we do when he wakes up?" Dipper asked.

"We interrogate him," Ford says. "Figure out who he is."

"How do we know if he's lying?" Dipper asked suspiciously. Ford titled his head.

"Good point. I bet if I call Fidds over we can get that thought-encrypting machine working again. We can skip the interrogation altogether and read his thoughts." Ford pulled out his cell phone and sighed.

"Dipper, how do I call Fidds on this?"

"Oh sure, you can design a portal but not figure out how a cell phone works?" Mabel chided. Ford flushed as Dipper dialed Fidds. Dipper doubted that the old man knew how to work a cell phone either - but according to Ford he had regained almost all of his memories.

"I'm going to go check on Grunkle Stan," Dipper said, jogging towards the elevator.

"Hey Fidds! Listen - I've got a request. Do you have time to help me fix the thought-encrypting machine? Can you come over now? Great!" Mabel cleared her throat.

"Um . . . Guys? I think you're too late." Ford and Dipper came running back into the room as the boy sputtered and coughed. His eye fluttered open, revealing a pale blue iris and slit pupil His hands went to his chest as he gasped for breath. He slowly pushed himself up and looked around the room, a confused look on his face. Ford put on his poker face and strode out in front of him, Dipper scurrying behind him, also trying to look serious.

The kid's eyes widened visibly in fear, and he pushed himself backwards, a hand clutching his chest. Ford crossed his arms.

"What's your name?" he asked. The kid blinked, looking confused.

"P-pardon?" he whispered.

"What is your name?" Ford said sternly.

"W-Will Cipher," he said.

"Okay Will. Who do you think we are?" Will's stared down at the ground.

"Master Ford and Dipper," he said. Mabel couldn't help but snort.

"Master? You've got to be joking!" she laughed, walking up behind Will. He spun to face her only to have a more panicked look on his face. Ford cleared his throat.

"Who do you think she is?"

"Mistress Mabel," he said, his mouth sounding dry. Mabel raised her eyebrow and shrugged at Ford and Dipper. Dipper shrugged back and took a step towards him.

"What do you know about Bill Cipher?" Dipper asked, journal poised on his hip. Will's eyes widened again.

"Bill? He – he's my brother," he said. "My twin." This time, it was the Pines' turn to have wide eyes.

"Bill Cipher has a twin?" Mabel blurted. Will swallowed.

"Y-you guys aren't the Gleefuls, are you?" he asked. Ford wrinkled his brow.

"We're Pines." Will slumped in relief, an almost relieved expression covering his face.

"How did you escape them?" he asked, looking up at them like they were gods.

"I have an enchanted knife that can cut through any curse."

"You made sure you escaped - right? They didn't follow you here?" he asked worriedly.

"Hold on - first tell us why they had you chained to their dimension. We were watching you. That whole town was terrified of you. Why?" Ford demanded. Will swallowed and sudden tears clouded his eye. The sudden surge of tears caught everyone off guard. Mabel covered her mouth with her hands and went to comfort him.

"Oh, please don't cry!" She reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Mabel wait! This could just all be a show! Don't touch him! He's Bill's twin after all!" Ford warned. Mabel reluctantly hung back as Will seemed to sink in on himself. Ford took a step closer to him.

"Talk," he said, although in a gentler tone of voice.

"T-they forced me to do it. I didn't want to. They made a deal with me."

"Isn't it usually the demon doing the tricking in deals?" Dipper asked skeptically. Will flushed.

"No - I mean yes. I guess I'm not a very good demon. That's why Bill didn't bother with killing me. He just kicked me out into the multiverse. The Gleefuls summoned me and told me they could give me a body of flesh to protect myself from Bill's influence if he ever came back for me - in such a way that I could retain my powers. I agreed, and they used their magic to bind me to them and made me their servant before I could escape." Will's eye clouded over once more as he bowed his head towards the ground. "They punished me whenever I didn't obey. They made me spy on the townspeople. Their influence grew and soon they controlled the whole town. Rumors spread about me . . . No one was brave enough to stand up to them. Those that did never . . . never lived to tell the tale so to speak. I've been their slave for fifty years . . . until you guys showed up." Will wiped the tears from his eyes and looked cautiously up at the others. "I-I'm assuming you rescued me for some sort of purpose? What are you g-going to make me do?" The Pines exchanged glances. Will seemed to have forgotten he was no longer bound to anyone. The only thing keeping him there was the crummy circle of unicorn hair.

"We need to make sure you're telling the truth," Ford said, ignoring Will's original question. "I have a machine that can sort through the thoughts in your head. Would you be opposed to such a procedure?" Will shook his head. Ford nodded.

"The machine is broken right now - but I have a friend coming over to fix it. It should be up and running in a few hours. Until then . . . stay here." Mabel pouted.

"We can't just leave him here by himself!" she protested. "He's injured!" Will flushed and looked down at the ground.

"No - it's fine," he whispered.

"Let him rest, Mabel," Ford said. Mabel rolled her eyes but listened and followed Dipper and Ford out of the room. Dipper ran to go check on Stan and Ford waited impatiently by the door for Fiddleford. Dipper came back downstairs to announce Stan was still sleeping as Fiddleford burst through the door. He grinned at the twins. Dipper smiled back as the two raced down to the basement. Fiddleford had definitely changed. He had given his beard a major trim - it now just fell to the end of his neck instead of all the way down to the ground. He exchanged his overalls for a pair of faded blue jeans and a green shirt that looked like it was from the 70s. He still sported his wobbly hat. Shoes were still iffy. Maybe the old man just preferred to go around barefoot.

Mabel moped at the kitchen table, swirling a glass of Mabel juice.

"Do you think he's okay down there?" she asked worriedly. Dipper shrugged, more concerned with Grunkle Stan than the demon at the moment.

"I wouldn't worry about him, Mabel."

"But he looked so scared Dipper!"

"We've all been scared before Mabel." She rolled her eyes and was about to retort when Ford popped his head around the vending machine.

"It's ready!" The twins raced downstairs. Ford dragged a strand of the unicorn hair out of the circle. Fidds wiped grease on his jeans and promised Ford to stop by later that week for a full update on their adventures. Will slowly stood up, nervously drumming his fingers together.

"Okay, come with us. If you try anything funny, I'll blast you to the first dimension," Ford warned. His new and improved ray gun shone in the light as he motioned for Will to walk in front of them. Will nodded. He held on to his arms as he walked in front of the Pines, cautiously looking at the various machines and posters on the walls. He raised his eyebrow at an old poster of Bill. Ford motioned for him to sit down in an old chair as he booted up the mind reading machine. Dipper brought the helmet. Will shifted nervously.

"Is this going to hurt?" he asked. Dipper shook his head.

"Nope. I've had it done to me before." Dipper made to put it on Will's head. Will flinched away, leery of Dipper's hands. Dipper instead offered it, and Will secured it on his own head. Ford flicked on the machine and rolls of thought began to roll across the screens. Occasionally flickers of a video would appear. Most of the images were of fire. Will shut his eyes whenever they appeared. "You think Stanford is scary? I'll be your worst nightmare!" the disembodied voice of Reverse Dipper growled through the chaos. Dipper turned around to see Will staring at horror at his old memories. He gripped the arms of his chair, his knuckles white. Ford even looked a little queasy.

"Okay - I think that's enough." He turned off the machine and took the helmet back from Will. Mabel swallowed. _Poor guy_ , she thought. Will watched them, fiddling with his fingers, seemingly waiting for further instruction.

"If it makes you feel better - we're nothing like those people," Dipper offered awkwardly. Mabel pitched in.

"Yeah! We're like their exact opposites! We've never had a maid let alone a demon slave or anything!"

"Or tortured people," Dipper added. "We're just fifteen." Will frowned.

"They were fifteen." Dipper flinched.

"Well - you have nothing to worry about anyway!" Mabel said. "We won't hurt you!" Ford held up his hand.

"But we still have a duty to protect this town. You said you still have access to all of your powers - correct?" Ford asked. Will nodded.

"I can still walk in people's dreams . . . Control stuff. Perform magic. See through anything that has my insignia. But I can't read people's thoughts or control their bodies without making a deal with them. Not that I need to possess a body anymore," he muttered, his hand fluttering near his chest. Ford nodded.

"Wait - so if that guy is Bill's twin - doesn't that make him equally as dangerous?" Dipper asked, suspicion in his voice. He recalled the warning written in black light. _If he gains physical form all is lost_. Will flinched at his words.

"C'mon Dipper, how can this thing possibly be dangerous?" Mabel argued. Ford held up his hand.

"No - Dipper has a point. We'll have to watch him and make sure he doesn't try anything funny," Ford said. "No offense Will. Your brother didn't exactly leave behind a good reputation." Will nodded.

"I can imagine. What did he do?" he asked. Ford bit his lip.

"It's a long story," Dipper said.

"Maybe we can discuss it over lunch," Mabel said. "You're probably hungry . . . Wait . . . Do demons need to eat and sleep and all that stuff?" Will nodded. The younger twins looked to Ford for permission. He nodded.

"Yes, that's fine. Just keep an eye on him."

"Don't worry Grunkle Ford! We'll be best friends by the end of the afternoon!" Mabel squealed and dragged the startled boy out of the chair, pulling him towards the elevator.

"Don't overwhelm him!" Ford shouted after her. She cheerfully ignored him. Dipper hesitated.

"Grunkle Ford I'm not sure I feel good about this," Dipper whispered. "When he realizes we're not going to hurt him - he'll turn evil again - just like Bill was!" Dipper protested.

"I-I doubt that will happen," Ford said. "The Oracle told us that Will could help us fight against Bill - not join him. If everything in that dimension was really the reverse of ours, Will would be Bill's reverse, everything that Bill wasn't. Which means he is - by nature - unconfident and fearful. Weaker. Maybe even good." Ford patted Dipper on the shoulder. "I appreciate your paranoia. But I don't think we have too much to worry about at the moment." Dipper deflated.

"Okay Grunkle Ford." _I trust you,_ Dipper thought. Dipper followed Mabel up the elevator. The poor demon already looked overwhelmed with all of her energy.

"C'mon, let's go eat food! Have you ever tried Mabel juice before? What kind of food do you like?" Dipper sighed.

"Calm down Mabel." Will continued to throw cautious glances every direction he looked. Mabel threw open the fridge. Will looked in, his eyes growing wide.

"Take whatever you want Will," Dipper said, pushing down his suspicions and grabbing a can of soda.

"Really? Whatever I want?"

"Definitely!" For the next half hour, the twins watched Will scarf down whatever food he could get his hands on. _They must have not fed you enough over in that dimension_ , Dipper thought. _Although I can't say I'm surprised._ Throughout Will shoveling food in his mouth, Dipper and Mabel explained the events of Weirdmageddon. Will didn't seem surprised in the slightest.

"Yup," he mumbled through a mouthful of food. "Sounds like something he would do." Dipper briefly wondered what other crazy stunts Bill had pulled to make causing the end of the world sound like a mundane task.

Stan walked into the kitchen, yawning and scratching his backside. He smiled tiredly at the kids.

"Hey you rascals. Soos told me you made it back alive. Where's Ford?" Dipper and Mabel rushed up to hug him.

"He's in the basement still I think," Dipper said. Stan did a double take as he saw Will. Will's eyes widened slightly and his hand clutched at his chest. Mabel saw the fear on his face.

"Don't worry!" she said. "Grunkle Stan is harmless in this dimension!" Stan scrunched up his face.

"Who you calling harmless?" Mabel grinned, pointing at Will.

"We rescued a dream demon!" Stan blinked.

"You're not very good at explaining things." Ford opened the basement door and lit up when he saw Stan.

"Stan you're awake! Good - I need to talk to you." Stan followed Ford down into the basement. Dipper wondered just how much Ford was going to explain to his brother. He wasn't sure if it would make the situation better or worse for Stanley to know that their worst enemy was coming back - possibly using his mind as a train station.

Mabel continued to drag Will around the house, telling him about all their previous summer adventures and what high school was like and going on and on about how they had to take him around town. Dipper thought Will almost looked relieved as Ford called for him. He walked back down to the basement as Stanley walked by him, looking a little more tired than he had originally. They did not exchange words.

Will nervously fiddled with his fingers, a habit he had had for the past few million years as he faced Ford. Ford leaned over his desk, also looking very tired. He sighed and ran his fingers through his fluffy graying hair before turning around.

"Yes, Sir?" Will asked timidly. Ford winced.

"Please - just call me Ford."

"Yes Si - Ford." Will winced at his mistake. Ford smiled warmly.

"No worries Will. We aren't going to hurt you. But I must admit that we didn't rescue you entirely out of the goodness of our hearts. We . . . have a job of sorts for you to do. To help us with." Will's face fell. Those words felt all too familiar. He bowed his head.

"Yes?"

"I'm sure Mabel and Dipper have already explained the events of Weirdmaggedon to you. But what they haven't told you yet is that Bill is inevitably going to come back. Right before he was wiped from existence, he begged the Axolotl to use his regenerative powers on him. Your twin is going to return sometime here in the near future - in some sort of different form. He'll have a second chance to redeem himself from all the crimes he's committed - although I don't see how you can make up for a trillion years of terrorizing the multiverse," Ford muttered, breaking into his cynicism. "Before we rescued you, we talked to a wise being known as the Oracle. She said that if anyone could help Bill become good again - it would be you. She directed us to your dimension so we could rescue you." Will nodded.

"I see."

"So . . . I don't know exactly how you feel about all this. I understand completely if you don't want to hel -"

"It won't work," Will said shortly, clenching his fists. Ford raised his eyebrow in surprise. Will sighed. "I know this probably isn't what you want to hear. But I know Bill better than anyone else. He's a psychopath. Nothing will get him to change. But since you all rescued me - I promise I'll at least try." Will extended a hand. Ford looked at it with a hint of suspicion.

"Is this a deal?" he asked.

"No. It's a promise," Will said. "I'm offering." Ford took a breath and shook Will's hand. He held on to it - squeezing.

"Thank you Will. Really. And of course you can stay here in the meantime. We can feed you and give you a place to sleep . . . buy you some new clothes as well." Will smiled shyly.

"You guys don't need to buy me clothes - I can generate my own. Besides, you guys saved my life. It's the least I can do. Besides - I've got the easy part." Will stood up and faced Ford. "Once he rejects me all over again - it'll be up to you guys to destroy him."

GSV YVRMT DROO RH NLHG **H** XZIVW LU RH SRNHVOU.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Rehabilitating Will was harder than Dipper imagined it would be. The kid jumped at every shadow and cowered from every touch. He was constantly apologizing for little things he was afraid he did wrong, and would apologize for apologizing when anyone told him he didn't have to apologize. Dipper wasn't an expert on things like abuse or trauma - he maybe knew a little more about trauma than abuse - and he had no clue of how to even begin fixing someone who had obviously gone through a ridiculous amount of it. Dipper suspected that there was a lot more to Will's history with the reverse Gleefuls than he was willing or wanted to talk about. He was still shy around Dipper, Mabel, and Stan, but his eyes got a little wider around Ford - no matter what he was doing. Dipper didn't understand why Will was even sticking around. Surely a dream demon recently freed from his abusive prison - all the powers in the world and his own personal fleshsack at his disposal - would've packed up his bag and peaced out the moment he realized he wasn't chained down? It was starting to grate on Dipper's nerves to be so nice to him all the time.

Mabel - of course - had the patience of a saint and spent almost every waking moment with him, showing him around the Shack or showing him how to play board games or knit sweaters. She of course had knitted him one already – blue with his insignia on it – they eye of providence with a line cut through it. If she had noticed he was uncomfortable with people touching him - she chose to ignore it. She was constantly hugging him, as if he could squeeze out all his trauma. Will put up with them either because he thought he was having some sort of crazy dream or because he had nothing better to do. These Pines reminded him of Pacifica and Gideon back in his old dimension. He had liked them just as much as he was scared and impressed by them. Anyone who had the guts to stand up to his old Masters surely deserved some respect, so Will played their game and let Mabel play with his hair and paint his nails whenever she wanted. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Mabel's energy. He knew she was making more of an effort to help him than her twin, Dipper, but Dipper was a lot more predictable. He was either reading or exploring the woods. He wasn't quite sure what to do with Will, and Will didn't mind. He wasn't used to dealing with people who were nice to him. Dipper provided a nice mental break. Will could relax around him and instead think of how optimistic or stupid Stanford Pines or the Oracle or any being was if they thought that Will Cipher of all things could somehow magic Bill into being a good person with one heart-to-heart. Stupid.

. . .

Dipper actually took the effort to get up early the next morning so he could sneak out of the house before Mabel snagged him into hanging out with Will. He slipped his journal into his backpack as slipped out the front door only to see a horse pawing at the ground in the parking lot. He sighed.

"I can't ever get a break," he muttered. The horse snorted, lifting its' head up high in the sky. Dipper carefully walked towards it. It pranced nervously from side to side as he did so. It was dark grey in color, with the bottom of its legs, nose, and hair being completely black. Its nostrils flared red as it eyed Dipper suspiciously. A broken rope hung from a contraption on its face.

"What on Earth are you doing out here?" Dipper wondered aloud, stretching his hand out. The horse pinned its ears back, snapping at Dipper's fingers. He yelped and drew his hand back, giving the beast a dirty look.

"Well screw you too."

"DIPPER!" He turned to see a thin figure come careening into the parking lot on a bike, her blonde hair unusually messy. He laughed.

"I can't believe you know how to ride a bike."

"GRAB HIM!" Pacifica shouted, nearly tripping over her own feet as she scrambled to get off the bike. Dipper cautiously grabbed the swinging rope as it snorted, pinning its ears at Pacifica as she ran up to Dipper, gasping for breath. She grabbed the rope from him, glaring at the horse.

"You're really trying my patience, Alcor," she muttered, reaching up to fix the series of ropes tied around its face. It tossed its head, making her job as hard as possible.

"This is your horse?" Dipper asked incredulously. "Since when are you a horse person? Doesn't that involve like dirt and effort?"

"I'll have you know equestrian is a very elite sport meant only for the finest and most disciplined of athletes!" The horse promptly sneezed, spraying the both of them with a fine spray of snot. Dipper wiped his face as Pacifica sighed, hanging her head.

"I'll never win with this thing."

"Win what?" Dipper found himself rolling Pacifica's bike as she led the horse, who continued to dance in place and toss his head, occasionally trying to bite Dipper.

"My family used to foxhunt," she said. "But we had to sell our good horses after we went broke. We've worked our way back up now, obviously, but it still bothers my dad that we ever went down. He's trying to earn our family more prestige - doing whatever he can to make us seem better. His latest obsession is polo." Dipper raised his eyebrow.

"Polo? Like . . . marco polo?" She rolled her eyes.

"Polo like two teams on horseback swinging giant croquet mallets trying to score points and not get maimed."

"Huh." Dipper tried to imagine such a thing in his head, but was sure the image in his head wasn't what Pacifica was trying to describe.

"Yeah. There are a million different things you can do with horses - but this is one of the fancier - richer ones. We just bought this pile of junk and had him trained. Supposed to be the greatest polo horse _ever_ but he's only been here a week and has escaped no less than three times . . . usually racing over to your weird Mystery Shack for whatever reason." She blew through her lips, her hand tightening on the horse's rope. Dipper had to stifle a laugh. Pacifica usually had perfect control of her emotions. She wasn't the type to let people see that she was flustered if she could help it - but here she was - both very flustered and sweating and covered in horse snot.

"So . . . why are you so stressed out? Can't you just build a bigger fence or something?"

"That's not the point, Dipper. I'm supposed to be competing on this horse in a tournament next week, with all of my dad's rich friends and their perfect horses - and this hot mess can't settle down to let me saddle him! If I'm not on the winning team, dad'll just get rid of him." The horse snorted once more.

"Well - what's wrong with him?" Dipper asked unhelpfully.

"I don't know, Genius! The guy we hired to train him said he was perfect up until the point they crossed the Gravity Falls border."

"Well animals are supposed to be more sensitive to emotions and things like that - right? Maybe it can just tell this town is weird and is still adjusting."

"Well he needs to adjust faster!" They reached Pacifica's house. They had downsized to a more normal house - though it was still on a large plot of land. Dipper leaned Pacifica's bike against the fence as she cautiously led the horse back into the pasture. He trotted through the tall grass, his odd coloring shifting and shimmering in the early sunlight.

"It's a pretty horse," Dipper said.

"He," she corrected. "Alcor is his name."

"That's a weird name."

"You'd be surprised how many weird horse names there are." She sank down to the ground, picking a stain on her jeans. Dipper had never seen her in jeans before. "Thanks for helping me get him back here." He sank down beside her.

"No problem."

"Where have you been anyway? Usually the whole town sees you when you come back." Dipper sighed and suddenly found himself explaining everything that had happened - from his phone dead in Mabel juice to the paranoid dream demon living in their Grunkle's basement. Pacifica whistled as he finished.

"Off kissing aliens like usual I see." Dipper chuckled and swatted her. He rummaged through his knapsack and unearthed his camera. He aimed it to the side, snapping a photo of Pacifica before she could stop him.

"What was that?" she demanded.

"Never seen you in jeans before. I had to record it for science. Very strange anomaly - perhaps the strangest of Gravity Falls." She rolled her eyes.

"Nerd." He grinned.

"You think if Albus or whatever felt safer he would calm down?" She raised her eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well - I've been researching ancient symbols as of late - seeing how ancient cultures used them to protect or guard or whatever. Maybe if you horse is picking up on the weirdness of Gravity Falls, he'll feel safer if he has some protective symbols around him or something."

"I thought you weren't a fan of using magic?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm not a fan of using magic for _dumb_ things," he corrected. "But this doesn't seem too stupid. Can't have you being embarrassed in front of your dad's rich stuck-up friends - can I?" She snorted.

"Okay Mystery Boy. Go for it. Curse my horse to your heart's content."

"I will!" he laughed. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"So in that Monster version of Gravity Falls . . . what kind of creature was I?" Dipper smirked to himself.

"Take a guess."

. . .

Dipper went home just in time for Mabel to drag him along on a Will adventures. She wanted to show him around the town and reassure him it was safe. Dipper rolled his eyes and walked behind them, nose in his journal as Mabel commentated on everything. After a while, he noticed something. The town was covered in random triangles and other symbols - and every time Will saw an eye of providence, he would take a red marker out of his pocket and draw a line through it.

"Why are you doing that?" he asked. Will flushed.

"Changing it into my insignia. Is that okay?" Dipper nodded.

"You can see through everything that has your insignia, right?" Will nodded. "Do you know anything about other symbols? Like ones used for protection?"

"Yeah of course - why?" Dipper explained the situation with Alcor. Will's eyes lit up as he agreed to help Dipper with his research.

"Ooh - I want to see Pacifica's horse!" Mabel said, clicking her heels together. Will eyes widened.

"Wait - this is Pacifica's horse?" Panic instantly covered his face. Dipper held up his hands.

"Don't worry man. She's not evil. Just rich and really annoying. Though her folks are pretty manipulative."

"That's not what you wrote in your journal!" Mabel teased. Dipper flushed slightly. Will still looked nervous.

"Are you sure she's safe?" The last thing he needed was to be giving his evil counterpart protective spells. Dipper nodded.

"Dipper, do you know what time it is?" Mabel asked.

"No . . . since I don't have my phone . . . since you dropped it in your nightmare juice!" Dipper said coolly. She rolled her eyes.

"You gotta learn to let go bro-bro." They eventually made their way back to the Shack, where Dipper and Will poured over the books in Ford's study, finding some symbols that would cast an aura of protection around the horse. They decided on a pentagram, ironically enough.

"I thought pentagrams were evil or something?" Dipper asked. Will shook his head.

"The meaning of the symbol changes with time and culture. For the most part, an upright one is used as a good symbol while an inverted one is seen as satanic, but it all depends on how you use it. The intent of the user changes everything."

"Huh." Dipper went to call Pacifica only to be reminded that his phone was broken. He groaned as Mabel told him to get over himself.

"Do you still have them?" Will asked.

"Yeah - they're in our room - why?" Will jogged up the stairs and quickly reappeared with Mabel and Dipper's phones, now in perfect working order.

"You can fix stuff?" Mabel asked. "That's so cool!" Will blushed with the praise.

"What all can you do exactly?" Dipper asked. Will shrugged.

"Kinda . . . anything really. I got pretty good at conjuring while stuck in Reverse Falls."

"So you could turn the Shack into a giant puppy?" Ford perked his head up from the other room.

"Well, yeah."

"Will is not allowed to turn the Shack into a puppy. Or anything else questionable," Ford muttered. Mabel groaned. Will chuckled slightly.

"But you couldn't like . . . open a rift into the sky that leads to the nightmare realm?" Dipper asked pointedly. Will shook his head.

"No. We never gained the ability to travel between dimensions or open portals. Of course - if someone summoned me from a different dimension I could go there - but not otherwise."

"So why don't you just use your powers to do everything?" Mabel pressed. Will shrugged.

"I enjoy doing things the old-fashioned way. It's frivolous to use magic when you don't need it." Dipper blinked.

"That's very . . . normal." _Way too normal for someone who's supposed to be Bill Cipher's twin,_ Dipper thought. _They really must be opposites_. Will smiled shyly.

"Well . . . normal is good right?" Dipper smiled back and nodded. _Maybe you're not so bad_ , they both thought. Dipper called Pacifica and told her to use a pentagram as a good luck charm of sorts. She sounded skeptical but agreed to try it anyway. The next day she called to say that he had finally started to calm down - the most excited Dipper had ever heard her. She invited everyone, Will included, to come watch the polo tournament the following week. Dipper promised they would be there.

ZOXLI PMLDH DSZG' **H** XLNRMT.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Soos was gone more and more to work on wedding plans, so Stan offered him the day off. He donned the Man of Mystery suit, ignoring Ford's protests, saying he felt fine enough to work. Stan had taken the news that Bill was returning in stride. They still weren't exactly sure why Stan was being affected by Bill's looming resurrection. Ford suspected a part of Bill was still lodged in Stan's mind after being erased with the memory gun – and the random fits of chanting and sleeping were side effects of some kind. Ford relented, saying that he had invited Fiddleford out to lunch that afternoon to catch up. The twins and Will were left to help, although it didn't seem like they would have many customers. Thick storm clouds had rolled across the sky and were pouring their contents out of the sky in buckets.

Mabel and Will took turns playing tic-tac-toe, sitting on the counter as Dipper poured over a book like normal. Stan splayed out in his chair, waiting for anyone to show up.

Finally, someone did. A short boy with white hair hurried through the door, shaking droplets of rain from his hair. Dipper lifted up his head in surprise, as did Mabel.

"Gideon, what are you doing here?" Dipper asked.

. . .

"Fiddleford - it's good to see you!" The old hillbilly grinned as he embraced his old friend.

"Well don't stand out there - it's pouring out!" Ford stepped inside the mansion, whistling.

"Nice digs you got here."

"Yes siree!" They sat down in the massive dining room. Fiddleford had made his mama's prized chicken and rice, and Ford couldn't deny that it was country cooking at its finest.

"So, what's it like having this huge house to yourself?" Ford asked.

"It's nice. Gets kinda lonely sometimes tho - but that's okay!" he added quickly.

"Does Tate ever come around?"

"Yeah - sometimes. He stays pretty busy down at the docks. Lately he's been buggin' me to see Addy now that I'm not so insane . . ." he trailed off, staring at his plate. Ford lit up.

"That's a great idea! How long has it been since you've talked to her?" Fiddleford sank down into his chair.

"I dunno."

"Well you should call her!" Fiddleford sighed.

"It's not that simple Ford - I - I haven't told her anythin' about this town. Or Weirdmaggedon. Or about me getting my memories back. And even if I did - there's no way she'd believe me! I'd sound just like I always did! Like a crazy, good-for-nuthin crackpot." Ford winced.

"Well . . . what if we could prove it to her?"

. . .

"I heard you guys were in town and wanted to stop by and say hi! Though I suppose I picked a bad day for it," Gideon said. He smiled and strode towards the counter. He had slimmed down over the past three years. His white hair was still artfully slicked back. He still had the Southern twang to his voice, and the smile that was too big for his face. He was dressed in a plain white t-shirt tucked into his blue jeans with baby blue cowboy boots. He wore a chain with several silver dog tags on it. Will's eyes were wide.

"Mabel, Sweetheart, how've you been?" Gideon drawled. Mabel narrowed her eyes at her former enemy. Gideon was no longer dangerous, but the twins still had trouble trusting him. He seemed to have more fun walking the fence than picking a side. His efforts to be a normal kid hadn't gone over as well as they could have.

"Just fine, Gideon," she said, crossing her arms. Gideon stopped and scanned Will, his smirk growing slightly.

"And who's your friend? You haven't introduced him."

"This is Will," she said stiffly. Gideon extended a hand. Will hesitated, and then cautiously shook it. Instead of letting go, Gideon pulled Will close to his face, narrowing his eyes at him.

"What happened to your eye, kid?" Mabel snatched Will's hand away.

"Buzz off Gideon! His eye or lack of it is none of your business!" she snapped. Gideon was taken aback.

"Jeez, calm down. Nothing wrong with asking a question! What is he, your boyfriend?" he retorted. Dipper noticed Will's eyes growing wide. _He just realized who his master's counterpart was_ , Dipper realized. _Uh oh_. Will took a step back, growing pale. Dipper stood to his feet. He had assured him Pacifica was safe, but not Gideon. And based by Mabel's reaction, Will was probably assuming the worst. Mabel failed to notice as she faced off with Gideon.

"Boyfriend? That - that's none of your business either!" she shot back, an unexpected blush flooding her cheeks.

"Guys, shut up!" Dipper shouted, running towards them. They turned to Will, who had pressed himself against the door, face twisted in fear. Gideon raised his eyebrow.

"Uh - is he okay?" Gideon asked. Mabel realized what Will was thinking and held out her hand. Will seemed to realize he wasn't bound down by chains and fumbled for the doorknob. He nearly tripped over his own legs as he raced out the back door and out into the thunderstorm, ignoring Mabel's cries as he fled. Dipper groaned as he joined Mabel at the door. Gideon ran up behind them, confused.

"What the heck? I didn't do anything to him!" he protested.

"We know," Dipper muttered. "It's not your fault. Exactly." Mabel grit her teeth and pulled Gideon behind her as she marched towards the woods.

"You're going to help us find him!" she said.

"What?" Gideon protested.

"Mabel - I don't think that's a good idea," Dipper said. "If he sees Gideon - he'll just be even more sacred."

"We have to show him that Gideon's safe! Or at least harmless!" she protested. Gideon rolled his eyes, giving the rain a dirty look. Dipper put on his cap and unsheathed a flashlight, tossing it to Mabel.

"Fine. Let's split up and call when we find him. He can't have run that far." _And hopefully nothing in the woods will get him,_ he thought to himself as he jogged into the gale. _Or struck by lightning_. Gideon stuck to Mabel, looking suspiciously into the surrounding darkness. Mabel ignored the various thorns and patches of what was probably poison ivy as she marched through the woods.

"Mind telling me what exactly is going on here?" Gideon huffed. Mabel hesitated. She pulled out her phone and texted Dipper.

 _Should we tell Gids the truth about Will?_

 _I think that's up to Cipher,_ Dipper responded.

"Tell you later," she muttered. "You know, we'll cover more ground if we actually split up." Gideon groaned and ignored the looming darkness as he started walking in the other direction.

. . .

He paused as he heard gasping. He quieted his steps and peered around a tree to see the blue-haired boy collapsed in a small clearing, gasping for breath. He was soaked to the bone and shivering. His sweater was torn in certain places and he was bleeding from various cuts. He had his head between his knees and was muttering to himself.

"Calm down. He's just a counterpart. Mabel and Dipper won't let him h-hurt you." For a moment, Gideon could have sworn he was tears rolling down the boy's face. He huddled in on himself, flinching at the crashes of thunder.

 _Why does he look so familiar?_ he thought. _And what does he mean by counterpart?_ The kid turned around and his eyes widened when he saw Gideon. Gideon put his hands up, stopping.

"Hey, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you!" he said. "Mabel and Dipper are out here looking for you too. We split up so we could cover more ground." Will stood up and wiped the tears off of his face.

"Prove it," he said with unexpected firmness. Gideon hid his surprise and tossed Will his phone. Will caught it and carefully eyed Gideon as he dialed Mabel.

"M-Mabel? It's Will. What are you and Dipper doing?" He listened, nervously shifting his feet.

"Yeah. He found me."

"Yay! I'm so glad you're safe." _Is he safe?_ Will wondered. _Am I safe?_ He heard the phone changing hands.

"Will, it's Dipper. Just follow Gideon back. He used to be sorta evil - but he's fine now. Probably."

"Yeah! And if he does something stupid - just light him on fire!" Mabel added.

"Okay. See you guys soon." Will carefully handed Gideon his phone back and meekly followed him back through the forest. Gideon debated asking him more questions, but he decided not to.

"Those Pines sure do pick some weird stuff to get mixed up in," he muttered, jumping slightly at another crash of lightning. "You sure picked a good night to freak out."

"Sorry," Will muttered, looking worriedly at the sky.

"Just glad we found something before something else did," Gideon said, turning back to face Will. "There's lots of dangerous things in these woods." Will nodded.

"Yeah, I know." Mabel embraced Will as they arrived back at the Shack. Dipper peeled off his flannel shirt, attempting to wring it out. Will muttered an apology for getting scared.

"Don't worry about it," Mabel said, staring daggers at Gideon before dragging Will back inside. He jumped at her contact, feeling a mix of embarrassment and anxiety, the adrenaline from his run making his muscles jumpier than normal. Gideon bit his lip and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Well - I guess I better leave then. Sorry to have caused any trouble." Dipper almost felt a twinge of sympathy for him as he walked slowly back to his car. _Maybe we should have been nicer to him_ , he thought. _Note to self - give Will a list of people he should be scared of so he knows everyone else is fine_.

. . .

Screaming woke Mabel up in the middle of the night. She groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Dipper?" she asked, looking over at her brother. He was dead to the world. Another scream pierced the air. She leapt out of bed, grabbing the lantern and racing down the stairs to the secret basement. She hopped out of the elevator to see Will curled up in the fetal position on his bed, sweat soaking through his clothes. He screamed again, holding his hands in front of his face, trembling and moaning.

"Will!" Mabel ran over to him, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "Wake up!" she shouted. "You're having a nightmare!" Will's eyes shot open. He pushed Mabel off of him, making her fall backwards off the bed. She hit the ground with an oomph.

"Ouch," she muttered, rubbing the back of her head. "Will?" She looked back at him as his chest rose up and down rapidly, eyes wide in terror. He slowly seemed to realize what he had done, and more horror crossed his face.

"Mabel! I-I'm so, so sorry!" he squeaked. Mabel stood up, rubbing her head and wincing slightly. Will's face crumpled and he crawled away from her. "I'm so sorry Mistress! P-please don't hurt me - " He held up his hands in front of his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. Mabel's heart broke. She crawled on the bed and wrapped her arms around Will, forcefully hugging him. He struggled, pushing against her for a moment before stopping, his chest still rising up and down in frantic breaths. He slowly eased up, letting Mabel hold him. Tears continued to stream down his face, wetting Mabel's nightgown.

"Will - get this into your thick head. We - I am never going to hurt you. Not if a thousand evil Mabels were threatening me. You're safe with us." Will's arms hesitantly tightened around Mabel as he cried into her shoulder. Mabel rubbed his back, smiling to herself.

"What were you dreaming about?" she asked. "Actually - you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"They were burning me." Mabel's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

"They were burning me. Your counterpart had just come back from a date. Well - a failed date. She was so angry. She took it out on me by lighting my cage on fire." Mabel gasped.

"How are you still alive?"

"Their magic. They would do everything but kill me and use their magic to restore me so they could do it all over again. That's how I've stayed fifteen for all these years as well. T-they were so cruel. They hated me." Will trembled. Mabel hugged him tighter.

"I - we don't hate you!" she said. "I think you're really cool. So, does Dipper and Grunkle Ford - they're just not good with emotions. Grunkle Ford and Dipper are just slightly paranoid you're gonna turn back into your twin." Will sighed.

"I'm not powerful enough to become Bill even if I wanted to," he muttered. "I'm weak. I'm useless."

"Hey - you're not useless! I bet if you wanted to - you could totally become just as evil and powerful as Bill was! Okay . . . maybe not the best example - but you know what I mean." Mabel pushed Will back so she could see his face. She smiled and wiped the tears from his eye. She unconsciously let her hand rest on his face. "You're awesome, Will. Do you believe me?" Will looked uncertainty at her. He felt himself slightly encouraged by Mabel's winning smile, even though he still mostly felt like garbage. They sat there in silence for a few moments, looking at each other. Will realized too late that Mabel's hand still rested on his face. He felt his cheeks growing hot, and he hoped Mabel didn't notice. He was so busy worried about his own face that he failed to notice her cheeks were glowing as well.

Suddenly, the elevator clanged. They both jumped as Ford stepped out, looking still half-asleep. He paused when he saw the two sitting on Will's bed, much closer than normal. He raised an eyebrow, briefly wondering if he was still asleep and just dreaming.

"He had a nightmare. He was upset. That is why I am here." _In his bed_. Mabel answered quickly, a little too quickly. They realized she was still touching his face and dropped her hand as they moved apart. Ford blinked, not quite sure what to make of the situation. Will flushed again, slightly embarrassed Ford now knew of his nightmare and subsequent panic attack.

"O-okay." Mabel leapt up.

"I'll go cook breakfast!" Ford watched her speed back up the elevator, failing to mention that Stan had already started it. He sat down at his desk, looking at Will, who still looked slightly frozen.

"You okay kid?" Will nodded, looking down at the bed to avoid eye contact. Ford wasn't super good with social skills - but he could tell he had just walked in on something he maybe shouldn't have.

TRWVLM RH HGROO RM OLEV DRG **S** NZYVO.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

It was Dipper's suggestion to take a walk to cool off everyone's nerves the next day. Stan was still asleep - so he started into the woods with Mabel, Ford, and Will. They walked in silence for the most part. He noticed Will walking a little closer to Mabel than he normally did, carefully watching everything around them with an attentive look on his face. Ford strolled with his hands in his pockets, for once not stopping every five minutes to scribble something down in his journal. Dipper, however, walked while reading through his journal, occasionally tripping over a root. After a while, Will began to float a few inches above the ground. Ford raised his eyebrow.

"Why are you floating?" Will shrugged.

"It's easier than walking. I get tired easily." Mabel hummed to herself, picking various flowers from the trail and tucking them in Ford's hair when he wasn't looking. Ford was thinking about how babysitting the dream demon was turning out to be easier than he ever thought it would be. Though Will seemed to be wary of him, he always answered questions. Ford had learned he didn't like to use his powers when he didn't have to, preferring to do things the old-fashioned way. He would organize random things around the house when he was bored. He let Mabel play with his hair and paint his nails with the patience of a saint. He was quiet like Dipper. He was - all things considered - a very practical demon. Ford was starting to enjoy his company.

"Hey, what's that?" Mabel asked, pointing at some large scratch marks in a tree trunk. Dipper glanced up from his journal.

"Probably a bear or something."

"Uh . . . should we maybe move on to a different part of the forest then?" Will asked, a slight edge to his voice.

"Nah - bears are the least of our worries in these woods," Ford said confidently. "He's probably long gone by now anyway." A sudden growl sounded behind them. The Pines turned around to see a huge grizzly bear standing on his back legs, sniffing at the family. He looked normal except for the third eye gracing his forehead. Ford groaned.

"Not you again - I thought I shot you!" he shouted. The bear growled, swiping at them. The twins screamed and stumbled backwards. Ford reached for his crossbow only to realize he had forgotten to bring it. Will zoomed down in front of them, holding his arms out.

"Will, get out of the way!" Dipper shouted, trying to pull the demon backwards. Will shook off his hand and narrowed his eye at the growling beast, rising several feet into the air. Mabel gasped and hid behind her brother as Will's hands caught with a golden flame. His eye caught on fire as well.

"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!" he screamed, slashing his hands across his body. Dipper gasped as the flames roared forward, scorching the roaring beast and sending him running. Almost all the trees in the surrounding area caught fire as well - turning the sky orange. Mabel's jaw hit the ground as Will lowered his flaming hands, for the first time, a furious expression on his face. He turned around to face the Pines, scanning them for injuries. Ford stood with his mouth hanging wide open.

"Dude . . . " Dipper whispered, suddenly feeling a little uneasy. _Well, he is a dream demon. He's got the same powers as Bill after all_ , Dipper thought, concerned and impressed all at the same time.

"Um - Will, those trees are still on fire," Mabel commented. Will snapped and remaining flames automatically extinguished themselves, leaving burnt trunks and smoking pine straw. Mabel was caught between awe and a reasonable amount of fear. Will's hands and eye returned to normal. He shoved his hands in his pocket, regaining the usual timid facial expression, floating back to the ground.

"C-can we go back to the shack now?" he asked nervously. Mabel nodded, taking his hand and gently pulling him down the path.

"Dude, that was really impressive!"

"I've seen people do a lot better." _Counterpart huh?_ Dipper thought, trailing the two, chewing on his pen. _Bill never would have gone to such lengths to protect people he cared about - if there were even people he did care about_. Dipper opened the journal and wrote on Will's page: protective - DO NOT MESS WITH FRIENDS. Beside him, Ford shook his head, remembering to close his jaw.

 _Harmless eh, Sixer?_

. . .

The next day was the polo tournament. Will opted to stay behind, worried his presence would make Alcor nervous. Mabel opted to stay behind as well so Will didn't have to be alone. Ford mentioned needing Will's help with something. Dipper arrived at the arena to see it filled with all manner of snobby people in varying degrees of clothes that just oozed an aura of _I'm better than you_. Champagne flowed freely as did bets. Dipper spied Pacifica's father sitting in a padded chair in the front row, wearing his usual suit. Dipper narrowed his eyes. He hated the self-righteous man, but he hated how he bossed Pacifica around like a servant even more. What kind of dad would threaten to get rid of a pet if it didn't win a trophy?

Dipper searched for the area where they kept the horses. He slipped under the stands and found a door that led to the stables. The riders milled about with their horses, many of whom had the same aura of prestige and importance as their humans. Dipper was given weird looks as he muscled his way through the crowd, searching for his Blonde.

"Dipper! You actually showed up!" Pacifica pulled him over to Alcor's stall. He snorted, nipping at Dipper's hat.

"Couldn't miss out on you creaming these guys," he said, a lopsided smile on his face.

"Creaming? She wishes!" Dipper turned around to see one of the riders looking down his nose at Pacifica. "Runt here should've stuck to the dressage arena." Pacifica pursed her lips.

"Hey man, why don't you buzz off?" Dipper snapped. He laughed.

"Ooh - Blondie's got a little boyfriend. She'll be needing a shoulder to cry on after this."

"We'll see about that," she retorted. The rider stalked off. Pacifica sighed, running her hands through her hair.

"Wow, he was almost as mean as you," Dipper joked. He dropped his humor when he saw the worried look on Pacifica's face. "Hey - why do you look so worried? I thought you said the pentagram worked?"

"A pentagram won't win this competition!" she snapped. "Ugh - sorry. I'm stressed."

"Why? You're a good rider - aren't you?"

"Of course I'm a good rider! But this is my first tournament. I've never met anyone else on my team before - and I've only ridden this hot mess five times! The symbols helps a lot but he's a big horse with a personality and attitude to match!"

"Then you must be a great match for him!" Dipper said. "Don't worry about those other guys. Just do the best you can. That's all you can do anyway. Just try to have some fun." Pacifica blinked. She had never once been told to have fun at a competition in her life. It was all about winning. She sighed.

"I'll try."

" _All riders to the arena, please_." She straightened the collar of her shirt and led Alcor out of his stall.

"Gimme a leg up?" Dipper cupped his hands and let her use him a stepping-stool. She settled herself in the saddle and collected her reins, lifting up her chin as she rode out with the others. Dipper noticed she had painted the pentagram on Alcor's left hindquarter in gold. Dipper joined Mabel in the stands. There were three riders on each team. Pacifica's team had a blue stripe on their helmet while the other team sported red. Each sported a long mallet and a uniform Dipper thought was odd to be wearing to ride. They all wore tight white pants and collared shirts with tall boots. _Surely riding a horse would be more comfortable in jeans?_ Dipper noticed that Pacifica was the only girl. Everyone else was at least a head taller than her as well. Her teammates kept giving her glances that spelled out _don't screw this up_. Dipper suddenly felt his hands sweating. What had she said before - that a goal was not to get maimed? Why would her father sign her up for such a dangerous sport?

A soccer-ball looking thing was placed in the middle of the arena. The referee blew the whistle and the teams bolted for the ball. For the next hour, Dipper winced and grew more respect for the riders and the horses. There were several instances where horse or human was almost smashed in the face with a mallet or trampled by someone else beelining for the ball. It looked like they were trying to play dirty on purpose - which didn't surprise Dipper in the slightest - but shouldn't the referee be stopping that?

All in all, Pacifica was keeping up with the big boys. Her eyes never flickered from the ball as she grit her teeth and swung that mallet for all she was worth. Alcor seemed to be just as determined. Dipper could see how he was a handful. His powerful muscles rippled as he completed charge after charge, snorting as if challenging the other horses to take him on. He was definitely faster than everyone - and the other riders had noticed. It drew Pacifica nods of approval from her own team as much as it drew dirty looks from the other team.

By the time the last round ended, both teams were tied. The referee announced a 'sudden death' - the first team to score the next point would win the tournament. The riders lined up. Alcor was soaked with sweat but still snorting and pawing at the ground. Sweat dripped from Pacifica's nose. The whistle blew and Alcor reached the ball first. The mallet cracked as it hit the ball, sending it flying towards the goal. The other riders charged after it as Pacifica patted Alcor on the neck. The rider who had mocked her in the stables narrowed his eyes at her. The play came back to the middle, each rider battling as hard as they could to reach the ball. Pacifica got the upper hand and sent the ball soaring back towards the goal. The jerk rider rode up close to Pacifica, bumping into her. Pacifica shot him a dirty look as he grinned. He reached back and jabbed Alcor in the hindquarters with his mallet, smearing his pentagram. Dipper and Mabel gasped as Alcor reared up in the air, Pacifica barely clinging on. She managed to keep her seat as he came back down on all fours - but at that point - Alcor was looking more pissed than competitive. He pinned his ears back as he lunged for the jerk rider's horse, sinking his teeth into his neck. The other horse jerked backwards, squealing in pain. The referee's whistle blew as the ball rolled through the goal.

"FOUL!" _Oh - now he declares a foul?_ Dipper thought. The crowd whispered as the referee consulted with the score-keeper. Alcor danced nervously in place as Pacifica tried to calm him down. Dipper thought he saw her hands trembling. They stepped back.

"Blue team is disqualified. Red team wins by default."

. . .

Will followed Ford down into the basement.

"What do you need help with?" he asked. Ford swallowed the nagging suspicions he had about Will and took a deep breath.

"So, you know Fiddleford - right? My old lab partner?" Ford explained the situation between Fiddleford and his late wife. "I would like to explain to her everything about the Society of the Blind Eye and Weirdmaggedon - but I doubt she would believe me. I need some proof to show her that I'm not crazy."

"So, what? You want me to use my powers around her or something?"

"If you think that would be enough to convince her - then yes. I talked to Tate - and she's coming in town to visit him in a few weeks. It would really help me out if you were there." Will nodded.

"Yeah - of course. You know - it might be easier to just write her a letter. That would give her extra time to prepare."

"How could I prove anything with a letter?"

"Letters are easy to weave magic into. I can make the words glow certain colors or even play a projection of sorts." Ford tilted his head.

"Then let's do it."

. . .

Pacifica's team shouted their protest as the red team smirked. The jerk rider winked at the referee, who winked back. Dipper's blood boiled as Pacifica's face fell. In the stands, Preston's face was the picture of calm composure. Dipper ran down to the stables as Pacifica left the fighting, dismounting and dragging Alcor away from the arena. The look on her face told Dipper to keep his mouth shut as he joined her. He wordlessly helped her take off the saddle and put Alcor back in the stall. Pacifica re-painted the pentagram before shutting the door, burying her face in her hands. Dipper reached out to pat her shoulder when clicking shoes were heard echoing down the hall. She quickly shoved him into an empty stall as Preston rounded the corner. His composed face was gone. He looked furious.

"You know that score was unfair!" she protested quietly.

"I don't care if it was unfair!" he shouted. "He wouldn't have found a reason to fault you if you had kept your stupid horse under control!"

"It was that other kid that set him off!"

"I. Don't. Care!" Pacifica shrank away, looking smaller than ever. "I ask you to do one thing and you can't even get that right. I guess if you can't control that horse - then you don't need him!" Preston turned on his heel, muttering under his breath. Dipper slowly came out of the stall, wheels in his brain turning. Pacifica stared down at the floor, biting her lip. Dipper placed a hand on her shoulder, skipping the comfort words.

"I . . . think I might have a solution to your problem."

. . .

They arrived in the Mystery Shack to see Mabel painting Will's nails - each one a different color. Will blinked up at them as they walked in.

"Hi Dipper," he said. "Pacifica? Wow - you look different." Pacifica crossed her arms and looked down at the pair.

"This is Bill Cipher's twin?" she asked disbelievingly. "You've got to be joking."

23-9-12-12 12-9-11-5-19 9-20 23-8-5-14 13- **1** -2-5-12 16-12-1-25-19 23-9-20-8 8-9-19 8-1-9-18.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Will raised his eyebrow.

"I told you they're opposites!" Dipper argued. "Would you rather have him be like Bill?"

"I'd rather him be in a form that could actually help me!" Pacifica shot back.

"What are you two talking about?" Mabel asked, nail painting forgotten.

"Pacifica was wondering if Will would be willing to help her out with something . . . maybe make a deal?" Dipper suggested. Will's eyes widened.

"Like a deal-deal? What on Earth do you want that requires that?" Pacifica sighed.

"I need you to go in my father's head and find a piece of blackmail that I can use against him to keep him from selling Alcor," she said simply.

"I bet you we could find some good blackmail on your dad," Mabel said.

"No - it has to be something really good. Something no one else knows about. Besides - I don't really want you two getting mixed up in this. My dad has people in powerful places - and he could upload some real hurt on you guys. But from what I hear - you're pretty good at protecting yourself," Pacifica said to Will, who shifted uncomfortably.

"You know I can't go into his mind without making a deal - right?"

"I thought we already established that," Pacifica said, kneeling down to his level. "So, do we have one or not?" She extended her hand. Will gawked at her.

"You understand that in any other situation this would be stupidly dangerous?" he questioned.

"Yeah well. You're wearing a sweater and letting a child paint your nails in colors that don't even go well together." She shook her hand. Will stared at her uncertainty.

"We won't let her do anything bad," Dipper added. "She's mostly just annoying - not evil." Pacifica bit her tongue.

"What are you going to offer me?" Will asked.

"What?"

"It's not a deal unless you give me something in return." Pacifica paused.

"I don't know. What do you want?"

"Ooh - make her give you a bunch of soda and ice cream! We can have soda floats for days! Ooh - and sprinkles!" Mabel exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands together. Pacifica blinked.

"Okay - whatever." Will sighed and his hand ignited with a golden flame. He and Pacifica shook hands.

"Ooh - and tickets to your fancy party this year!" Mabel added. Pacifica rolled her eyes.

"Fine." They shook and parted.

"When do you want me to do this?" Will asked.

"As soon as possible," she said.

. . .

Gideon walked into his room that afternoon, surprised to find a Stanley Pines leaning against his desk. He furrowed his brow as he shut his door, dropping his bag on the floor. His parents were gone - how had he gotten in his room? Why was he of all people in his room?

"Stanley? What are you doing here?" he asked. The old man looked up at him, smiling a little bigger than he normally did.

"What? I can't come see my closest white-haired friend?" Stan clapped him on the shoulder. _Something's wrong_. Gideon tried to return the smile as he was pulled forward so he was inches away from Stanley's face. His skin was ice cold.

"Miss me?" Gideon gasped and stumbled backwards.

"You!" he snarled. "What are you doing here? We destroyed you!" Stanley laughed - only it wasn't Stanley - it wasn't his laugh - and unsteadily sauntered forward, like a clown walking on stilts.

"Oh - it wasn't you that defeated me kid. It was that stupid memory gun that got me in the end. _Almost_." He threw his head back and cackled long and hard. His yellow cat eyes twinkled as he looked down at Gideon. "But I had one more trick up my sleeve they weren't quite expecting," he whispered. Gideon nodded while frantically trying to figure out how to tell the Pines their beloved Grunkle was possessed by a dead enemy without losing his own head. Bill cocked his head as blood casually trickled down Stanley's left eye, dripping onto the carpet. Gideon's heart dropped at the sight of it.

"Aw look - it's trying to outsmart me." Stan's hand lashed out and grabbed Gideon by the throat, lifting him up in the air. Gideon gasped and struggled for breath, his vision already going blurry as he found none.

"Wha-what do you want with me?" he wheezed, pawing at Stan's hand. Bill dropped him to the carpet. He coughed and gasped for breath as he towered over him.

"I want to make a deal with you kid! Just like old days!" Gideon glared up at him. Bill knelt down to his level, playing with the tassel on Stanley's fez. "It's simple really. I just want a trade. It's hard to move around in this old flesh sack. I'd rather have a younger, more energetic one like yours."

"Like heck I'd ever let you possess me!" Gideon snapped. "Try again Cipher, you're not pulling the wool over my eyes this time. I'm one of the good guys." Bill chuckled.

"Whatever you want to tell yourself kid. I know you'll do anything to protect the Pines. And really I'm trying to protect them too. Right now - this little possession thing is our wittle secret," he drawled, strolling around Gideon on the floor. "And since they don't know I'm here . . . I could literally do anything I wanted to them." Gideon looked up to see a vision of the Mystery Shack in flames, screams making the flames rise higher. It changed to Mabel lying on the ground with a knife lodged in the side of her head, glitter and blood staining the floor. Dipper's head on a pike - his hat drenched in blood. Gideon fought the bile rising up in his throat. Bill knelt down behind him, eye glittering manically.

"It's your body or theirs," he whispered. Gideon shut his eyes.

"What's stopping you from hurting them while you're controlling me?" he asked.

"You kid! Deals aren't a one-way street. You just say the words and not a hair on their curly heads will be harmed." Gideon stared at the floor, sweat running down the back of his neck. _What choice do I have?_ He thought. He sighed, closing his eyes once more.

"Fine."

"Brilliant!" They were suddenly both standing. Bill offered Stan's hand and lit it with blue fire. Gideon shook it.

"You can control my body but you can't hurt the Pines family in any way!" he said, glaring at the demon. Bill - or Stan - grinned.

"Deal." The handshake broke. Stanley's body collapsed to the floor as a triangular shape flew out the top of his head and into Gideon's. _Mabel, Dipper, I'm sorry,_ Gideon thought as he felt someone else taking over control. He contorted in pain.

Bill Cipher grinned and laughed, stretching the new body. This one was definitely more workable. It would heal faster from his various self-inflicted injuries. And most importantly . . . it was his ticket to freedom.

He looked at Stanley's crumpled form on the carpet and snapped his fingers, transporting him back to his bed at the Shack. He wouldn't remember such things come tomorrow.

Bill walked over to the window. He could see the Mystery Shack from here. He grinned. He wouldn't hurt the Pines just yet . . . he had another target he wanted to get out of the way first. A target with blue hair.

. . .

They gathered in the basement. Pacifica whistled as she looked around, cringing at the dust and spiders that had also taken up residence.

"I knew your Mystery Grunkle was weird but not this weird," she muttered. Will sat crisscross on the side of his bed, closing his eyes and holding his hands out on his knees. Mabel watched him with a sense of fascination. Pacifica seemed slightly nervous.

"Do you know how long this is going to take?" she asked.

"Nope. Depends on how weird your father's mindscape is. Also, there really isn't time in the mindscape . . . so I couldn't really tell you either way."

"How exactly do you . . . do that?" Dipper asked, subconsciously getting out his journal and a pen.

"I don't know. It's all in your head. Now let me focus. Please." They fell quiet as Will took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His hands trembled slightly, and his body collapsed. Mabel gasped as a shadowy figure flew up from Will's still body, hovering a few inches above their heads.

"Cool," Dipper breathed. The little triangular shadow waved at them with a tiny hand before zooming out of the room. Mabel poked Will's body's arm, shivering.

"Whoa. It's ice cold."

"Let's move him so he wakes up in a more comfortable position," Dipper suggested. They lifted up his body, _wow he was really light_ , and stretched him out like he would normally lay on his bed.

"I guess we wait," Dipper said, pulling up a chair. Pacifica and Mabel did the same. Dipper couldn't help but notice how tired Pacifica looked. Her normally flawless skin was flecked with dirt and sweat. She looked like she was still trying to catch her breath. _I guess you don't just sit there when you're riding a horse,_ Dipper thought. He felt like he should reach out and give her a hug or a reassuring pat - but was reasonably sure she would just lash out at him if he tried. _Hopefully this works_ , he thought.

A few moments later, Will's body sputtered back to life. Will sat up, clutching his chest and gasping for breath, sweating slightly.

"Well - what did you find?" Pacifica demanded, her brow creased. Will looked up at her.

"Umm . . . I think it's best if you don't actually know," he said. She blinked in surprise. He held up his hands. "I found stuff - I promise. I would rather not have to explain all of it," he said. Dipper was sure Pacifica was going to argue, but she held her tongue.

"Okay fine. I guess it doesn't matter anyway. Thanks," she added, after a beat. Mabel grinned and rolled over next to her.

"So how about those tickets - eh?"

2-9-12-12 9-19 19-3-1-18-5-4 15-6 23-9-12- **12**. 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Pacifica insisted they pull the blackmail stunt during their famous annual party. That was the only time Dipper, Mabel, or Will would be able to get into the house - and the only time it wouldn't be possible for her dad to refuse an audience. As timing would have it - the party was that weekend. Pacifica rolled up to the Mystery Shack around dusk in her limo. She hopped out of the driver's seat and hauled out several trunks out of the backseat. Dipper and Will helped her lug them upstairs as she snapped at them to _hurry up they don't have a lot of time!_ The trunks were thrown down in the attic, bursting open to reveal an inhumane amount of dresses, suits, makeup, and shoes. Dipper rolled his eyes but nevertheless tried on whatever Pacifica shoved in his chest. Mabel sorted through the different dresses, oohing and aahing at all the different colors. Pacifica eyed Will like an architect looking at a piece of land.

"What did you appear as when you first got your body?" she asked, drumming her fingers on a trunk. Will raised his eyebrow.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well - your brother seems to have a pretty good sense of style - for a triangle. Is that something you inherited or is that opposite as well?" Will narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers. Mabel's sweater and jeans disappeared and were replaced with black dress pants, a white button-up, and a bright blue tailcoat complete with black bow tie. A slightly crooked black top hat floated several inches off of his hair. Black leather gloves framed his hands. Both Pacifica and Mabel's jaws dropped. It took Mabel longer to recover.

"You clean up nice, Cipher."

"Really nice," Mabel breathed, hoping too late that no one overheard her. Will frowned and crossed his arms.

"It's itchy." Pacifica walked over to Will and fingered his floppy hair.

"I really couldn't care less, Sweetheart. Slick that blue mess back and you'll be set. Mabel - see anything you like?" Mabel pursed her lips and began searching with renewed vigor. She pulled up a blue silk dress as Will helped Dipper tie his bow tie.

"Since when do you know how to tie a tie?" Dipper asked. Will scoffed.

"Who do you think dressed your counterpart? Idiot was useless with a tie." Pacifica cocked her brow.

"You picked the outfits for your previous family?" she asked. "I didn't picture you a fashion designer." Will shrugged.

"Call it what you will. Want me to pick you out a dress, Blondie?" Pacifica motioned towards the trunks, and Will knelt next to them, softly singing to himself as he searched.

" _First one up was a preacher's son. Last one down was an Englishman. I'm in bed with his bow-tie on. All dressed up for a hit and run._ " He held up a champagne colored dress and handed it to her.

"Try that."

"Champagne isn't my color."

"The color doesn't matter, Blondie. I'm looking at the shape of it. I can change it to whatever color you want." Her eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"I'm a dream demon. Of course I can change the color of a dress." Pacifica rushed to go change. The two girls emerged from the bathroom at the same time. Dipper blinked. Mabel's dress went all the way to the floor save for a slit on the left side that went up to the middle of her thigh. It hugged her in all the right places. The shoulders had keyhole loops. The blue fabric shimmered with every moment. Dipper shook himself. He had forgotten his sister was a girl under all the bulky sweaters. Heck, she had even hit puberty before him. Pacifica's dress was simpler, no slit or anything. Narrow straps help up the dress, which had a lower cut than Mabel's. It too hugged her hips, draping down her thin frame like a waterfall. Will frowned and snapped his fingers. Mabel's dress changed from blue to white.

"Not blue," he said. Pacifica stood beside him, rubbing her chin.

"White's too boring."

"What's your favorite color?" Will asked.

"Um . . . sparkly?" Mabel offered sheepishly.

"I think I can make that work." Will snapped his fingers and suddenly every inch of the fabric glittered every color of the rainbow with tiny sparkles woven into the fabric. He surveyed his work and waved his fingers. The bottom of the dress turned black, showing off the sparkles even more. The black slowly faded to the white about a foot off the ground. Mabel turned and gasped when she saw herself in the mirror. She spun around, squealing as the dress glittered and flashed in the light.

"This is perfect! It looks like it was made of unicorn hair!" Pacifica nodded approvingly. Will turned to her.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Hot pink." He snapped and the color changed from champagne to bright pink - not bright enough to hurt your eyes - but bright enough to light up the dusty attic. He added white gloves and a sheer shawl over her shoulders. Pacifica surveyed herself in the mirror and nodded.

"I should hire you as a butler," she commended. Will flushed.

"Yeah, no problem. Glad you guys like them." Pacifica clapped and started rummaging through the makeup trunk.

"Okay Cipher, can you magic that hair back or do I have to use gel?" Will let her try to tame his hair back only for it to keep coming back over his face. She eventually gave up and turned to doing her and Mabel's makeup as Dipper tried not to fall asleep and wrinkle his suit. She tackled their hair next, curling hers up in a fancy updo Dipper couldn't even begin to describe. Will braided Mabel's hair as she instructed, matching the one her unicorn counterpart wore in the Monster Falls dimension. She started singing along to Will's song.

" _Na na na na na na na . . . all dressed up for a hit and run._ " Pacifica dragged a brush through Dipper's hair before giving up on taming that mess as well. She picked out shoes for them next. Will adjusted the size so they perfectly fit everyone.

"Okay. I suppose you freaks look presentable," she muttered. "Is that eyepatch stuck on your face or something?" Will frowned. "Can you at least jazz it up?" He waved his fingers and a curly gold fringe wound itself around the edge. Pacifica smiled and clapped her hands. "Excellent. Let's go. I'll get these trunks later. We have to be late at a specific time." Dipper rolled his eyes. Mabel couldn't be more excited. She had the tendency to forget she was a girl under the bulky sweaters as well, and was shocked at how well the dress fit her. She looked _hot_. . . hotter than Pacifica even, and Pacifica was always hot. Giggling, she grabbed on to Will's arm, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Would you be my escort please sir?" Will flushed and walked Mabel down the stairs. Dipper cordially extended his arm to Pacifica, who grumbled something about rather having the demon as an escort before taking his arm. She coughed to hide her blush as they flowed down the stairs.

It was a rare moment when both Grunkles were awake and in the same room as they descended into the living room. Both of their eyes widened at the posse. Mabel waved her fingers as they bounded out the door.

"Don't wait up!" They were still speechless as the limo squealed out of the parking lot. Stan sipped at his coffee.

"Huh." Ford scratched at his head, trying to understand why his family now looked like they were eighteen instead of fifteen.

"Wait - does Pacifica have a driver's license?"

. . .

They walked into the house with perfect timing. All eyes turned and stared as they strode in. Mabel struggled to keep from screaming as Dipper smirked down at all the haughty people who usually looked down upon him.

Their attention-seeking didn't last too long. Pacifica pulled them over to a snack table nestled in the corner, giving the alcohol a tempting a glance before facing them.

"Okay Will - you know what we need to do. We need to corner my dad away from everyone else - and you've really got to sell it!" Will nervously picked at his collar.

"I-I'm not really sure if I can do this," he whispered. "I-I'm not a very good liar."

"You aren't lying, Sweetheart," Pacifica pointed out, folding her arms.

"Okay fine! I'm not good at blackmail! Or being threatening! Or anything that requires confidence!" he protested, nervously drumming his fingers.

"I've got some liquid that'll make you feel more confident." Dipper glared at her.

"You are not getting our dream demon drunk!" he hissed. Pacifica rolled her eyes as Dipper turned and took his journal out of his jacket pocket.

"Do you always have that stupid thing?" she hissed back.

"This 'stupid thing' saved our butts last time we were in this situation!" he shot back.

"Oh my gosh a chocolate fountain!" Mabel dragged Will away from them towards the fountain. Pacifica pulled the book from Dipper's hands and scanned the pages.

"Hey Will, there's a spell in here that will make you more confident!" she called out. Dipper furrowed his brow as Will jerked to attention.

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh yeah," Pacifica said, strolling past Dipper before he could protest. "It'll last about six hours. Really simple." Will shrugged.

"Okay. Go for it," he said. Pacifica shoved the journal back towards Dipper, grinning.

"Do the honors Mystery Boy." Dipper's ears turned red as he stared down at his journal page talking about the size-changing rocks in the forest. He pointed at Will and made sure to pick words that actually wouldn't result in a spell. An extra touch, he made sparks fly out of his fingertips. Will stumbled back and looked down at himself.

"I don't know if I feel any different." Pacifica shrugged and pulled him over to the staircase.

"It said it takes a few seconds to set in. We'll wait until it does - you'll definitely be able to feel a difference." Pacifica smiled a deceptively sweet smile and whispered in his ear. "Besides - this is gonna feel so good. He's really been a jerk to the Pines twins - both sets of them." Will's eyes flashed as his fists involuntarily clenched. _Got you_ , Pacifica thought. Will pushed past her and descended down the grand staircase. A curved black cane appeared in his hand and he slammed the end down on the hardwood floor, making the rest of the party jump. He grinned, tapping the cane on every step as he descended. Pacifica descended behind him, carefully swaying her hips and barely containing her smirk.

"Preston! My old friend!" Will threw his arm around Preston's shoulders, making the already startled man jump once more. Out of shock or not wanting to be embarrassed, Preston played along.

"It's been too long my friend!" he called out, holding his champagne glass. Will grinned like a lion stalking its prey and leaned in to whisper something into the older man's ear.

"I was wondering if we might have a private chat for a moment." Will placed his hand on the small of Preston's back as he guided him back up the stairs, not waiting for an answer. Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel gawked with open mouths at the exchange.

"Wow. I can't believe that worked. The placebo effect is really powerful," Dipper mused. Mabel could only nod as she watched Will saunter off into a closed room.

. . .

Preston shook himself like he was coming out of a daze as soon as the door clicked shut behind them. He turned and glared at Will.

"Now wait a minute, what exactly is going on here? Who are you?" Pacifica leaned against the door as Will leaned on his cane.

"I just wanted to have a little chat," he said, faking hurt. He waved his hand and Preston found himself sitting in the swivel chair behind his desk without purposely moving an inch. Will pulled a manila folder out of his tux and threw it on the desk in front of Preston. "I'll let you look through that for a moment. Let me know when your brain catches up." Preston frowned and then paled noticeably as he thumbed through the documents. He took a deep breath before looking back up at Will.

"What do you want?" he asked hollowly.

"Simple," Will said. "You let Pacifica keep her horse and forget this ever happened." Preston blinked.

"Seriously? That's what all this is about? That stupid horse?" Will shook his finger.

"I wouldn't be calling your daughter's horse stupid right about now," he said. Preston looked for a minute like he was about to explode before relenting.

"Fine. Deal." He held out his hand. Will reached out but stopped right before their fingers touched.

"And you can't force her to do competitions or sell it or literally anything she herself does not want to do of her own free will with that horse!" he added. Preston rolled his eyes.

"Fine! Deal!" Will touched his fingers to Preston's hand but didn't shake, instead turning over the hand and planting a kiss on the top of his knuckles.

"You don't want to make a deal with me, Sweetheart. Let's just call this a promise," he said, his eyes burning straight through Preston's body. Will dropped his hand like a stone and spun around. "And if you try to get yourself out of our little agreement - I'll know - and you'll regret working with me more than you ever regretted working with Bill Cipher." Preston blanched as Pacifica opened the door for Will, waving sweetly at her dad before shutting the door. She squealed and grabbed onto Will's arm, hugging him tightly.

"Will, that was beautiful!" Will chuckled, swinging his cane, looking smug.

"You're starting to sound like Mabel, Blondie." Pacifica rolled her eyes before spotting Mabel looking like a deer in headlights as she stared at Will. Pacifica smirked and pushed Will towards her.

"Speaking of which, why don't you ask her to dance?" Dipper tried to conceal his laughter as Will sauntered up to Mabel, bowing slightly as he extended his hand. For the first time ever, Mabel was at a loss for words as Will swept her off to the dance floor. Dipper drained his glass of punch and grabbed Pacifica by the hand.

"Don't think you're not getting out of this so easily," he said, pulling her to the floor, almost making her trip. She rolled her eyes.

"You could at least try to suck up a little bit. Maybe Will can give you lessons," she said.

"But then everyone would be falling in love with me," Dipper replied smoothly. Pacifica prayed her flush couldn't be seen in the low light as they swayed side to side. _He can't even dance for real_ , Pacifica thought as she rested her hand on Dipper's shoulder. Across the floor, Will was waltzing perfectly and had every girl staring in his direction with varying levels of envy. She looked up at him and for the first time it occurred to her that she was actually looking up at him. _Mabel's not the only one who hit puberty_ , she thought, eyeing Dipper's chin stubble. Why hadn't she made him shave before the this? Dipper was simultaneously hoping that Pacifica wasn't noticing the sweat running down his back as he hoped he had placed his hands in the right place and wasn't holding her too far away or too close.

He didn't have to worry for long. The slow song ended and was replaced with a pop song. The night gave way to a lifetime of fun. The Pines and their dates dominated the dance floor, collecting dirty looks from the other partygoers. At one point, Will and Mabel started keeping count of how many death glares they received, Will keeping track with golden tally marks etched into his cane.

"Hey Paz! How long does this confidence spell last?" he shouted.

"You got five more hours!" she shouted back. Mabel got over her bout of speechlessness and was easily the loudest one in the house, cheering at the end of every song and shouting to her friends across the floor. Pacifica and Dipper made a personal goal to embarrass each other as much as they could. Dipper won hands-down when he started throwing chocolate-covered strawberries like grenades at the snottier-looking guests, much to Pacifica's horror before he started throwing them at her.

They were eventually run out of the house after two AM. Drunk on adrenaline and various treats, they piled back into the limo, Pacifica flooring it as Mabel leaned out the skylight, Dipper clinging to her ankles making sure she didn't fly off the top. They crashed into the fence at the Mystery Shack and piled out into the living room, crying tears of laughter. Will conjured up glasses of time sand that they all threw back at an impressive pace. What was time sand exactly? Dipper knew Ford had drunken it. He doubted it was alcohol since it was all that sustained Time Baby. Will hadn't been able to give that coherent of an answer as he continued to conjure random things around the house - mostly flowers that glittered like Mabel's dress.

"Are we sure they didn't have any vodka?" Pacifica whispered to Dipper as Will twirled Mabel around to their own music on top of the kitchen table before dissolving in giggles.

"This sand tastes like the galaxy and firecrackers!" Mabel laughed, throwing down another glass of it.

They finally collapsed on the fluffy carpet in front of the TV around four in the morning. Dipper's leg was propped up against Stan's chair as Will used his stomach as a pillow. Mabel had somehow managed to curl up on Will's calf as Pacifica lay sprawled out on the remainder of Stan's chair, her feet hanging by Dipper's head as he snored with his mouth wide open.

When the Grunkles found them the next morning, all they could do was stare and chuckle to themselves. Ford brushed flowers off of the kitchen counters as Stan made sure to take plenty of pictures from every embarrassing angle possible.

16-18-5-19-20-15-14 23-1-19 9-13-16-18-5-19-19-5-4 2-25 8-9-19 4-1-21-7-8-20-5-18'19 2- **12** -1-3-11-13-1-9-12.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Ford finally nudged the teens awake as the Mystery Shack opened that day. He was greeted by groans of varying loudness. Will grabbed a pillow and held it over his face as Mabel mushed her face into the carpet.

The Mystery Shack opened late that day. Dipper grabbed Will under the arms and hauled him to his feet, threatening to drop him down the stairs before Will got startled enough to remain awake. Mabel looked like she had a major hangover, and grumbled like she had one too. Pacifica assured Ford they hadn't had anything to drink that night. No one mentioned the time sand.

Dipper and Will helped Pacifica pack up her trunks and carry them out to the limo - which thankfully wasn't as badly damaged as they thought it was. Pacifica actually offered to hug Will for his help last night - and upon seeing him wince - offered him a hundred-dollar bill instead. Will took it out of politeness and thanked her for finding the confidence spell. Pacifica barely contained her laughter before she drove off. Dipper broke and told Will the truth. Will looked too shocked to be upset - which was good. Dipper was slightly concerned his feelings would be hurt by them tricking him.

Inside, Ford was gathering Will's random flowers into vases. They were really pretty he said, and he too did not want to hurt the dream demon's feelings. Who knew demons conjured flowers when they were over-excited?

Mabel had crawled off to bed in the attic and no force on Earth could awaken her, so they let her rest. Stan sent Dipper outside to fix the broken fence as Will helped restock the gift shop. Stan ran the tours, having the energy to do so for the first time in a long time. Ford hung out by the front counter, smiling at his twin as he rested there between tours. Will grimaced at the leftover crust in his hair, making a mental note to shower as soon as the Stans let him off his shift.

Another tour finished and filtered into the gift shop. Will stood back to let the people browse as Stan stood next to Ford, leaning against his cane. Will took a swig from his bottle of water and noticed an older man with a stringy beard eyeing the bowl of bumper stickers. Will leaned back as he saw the shifty guy take a bumper sticker and shove it underneath his jacket. He continued browsing. No one else had noticed. Will pursed his lips. Stan turned around and noticed Will staring. He raised his eyebrow. Will crossed his arms and his fingers twitched slightly under his elbow. The stealer squirmed as a dim glowing light illuminated under his jacket. His eyes suddenly widened as he yelped and threw the jacket to the ground. The other patrons yelled as they saw the flaming bumper sticker resting in the guy's coat pocket. The older twin's jaws dropped as the guy frantically tried to stamp out the small fire. Will smirked the slightest bit as he grabbed his water bottle and walked over to the man.

"Need some help there, sir?" he asked, offering the water bottle.

"Yes - please!" He reached out for the bottle only for Will to jerk it out of his reach.

"Then why don't you try shoplifting at another store?" he whispered, his eye narrowing. The fire suddenly vanished, leaving no trace that it had been burning seconds ago. The man's eyes widened as he scrambled to pick up the jacket, shaking hands holding the bumper sticker.

"Why don't you pay double for that one?" Will suggested, darkly. The man all but threw his money at the register before running out the door. The other patrons turned back to their own shopping, leaving the Pines twins still gawking at Will. Stan waited until the others had left before bursting into laughter and slapping his knee.

"I think I'm like having this demon-thing around!" he chortled. "That was awesome!" He slapped Will on the shoulder, affectionately noogeing his head before letting him go. Will blushed at the praise, laughing awkwardly. Ford frowned slightly.

"You didn't have to do that," he said. "Heaven knows my brother has robbed more people than that guy probably ever will."

"Hey - don't discourage the kid!" Stan protested. Ford rolled his eyes.

"Seriously Will. You didn't have to do that. You _don't_ have to do that." Will bit his lip.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No - of course not. I just don't want you to feel like you have to put yourself at risk for something dumb like a stolen bumper sticker."

"Oh - don't worry - he was harmless. He didn't have any guns or anything." Ford raised his eyebrow.

"How could you tell?" Will motioned towards the other wall. Random artifacts framed the wall, several of which happened to bear the eye of providence with the line crossed through it.

"Oh. I forgot you could do that." _Will could see everywhere around the shop, Ford_ remembered. He had the feeling they had just accidently invested in the world's best security system. Or guard dog.

"Well - you know what I mean. Don't let Stanley boss you around. You don't have to do anything we say." Ford flinched slightly as he said those words - wondering if he would regret that later on. Will nodded.

"Okay." Ford walked towards the cash register, putting in the stray money the shoplifter had thrown. It was almost fifty dollars. _Why bother stealing a fifteen-dollar bumper sticker when you have this much cash on you?_ He wondered. _Ah well_. He closed the register and watched Will as he continued to lean against the wall. Ford chewed on the inside of his lip, a bad habit he had picked up. For a moment, that threatening glint in Will's eye had reminded Ford of Bill.

 _Don't be ridiculous,_ he thought. _Will's the least dangerous person here. He literally conjures flowers when over-excited._

 _Don't always judge a book by it's cover, Sixer. He may look innocent, but at the end of the day, flowers or not, he's one of the most powerful dream demons in the multiverse. Heaven knows_ your _judgement isn't the best in the worlds._ Ford scowled.

. . .

Mabel finally joined Dipper as he finished repairing the fence. He crossed his arms and laughed at his sister - who still looked slightly zombie-ish.

"Ugh. That party was ridiculous last night." She yawned, leaning against Dipper.

"Sure was. I'm not sure who was crazier - you or your dream demon." She flushed.

"Whaatt . . . he's not _my_ dream demon. He's not ours, he's not like a dog . . . Will is his own person Dipper!" she protested loudly, pulling her sweater up over her ears and quickly walking away from him.

"Whatever you say, Sis!"

. . .

Will took a long shower after his shift ended and promptly fell asleep on the bed in the basement, still exhausted from the previous night's party. He was thankful the Grunkles hadn't been mad at them for staying out so late. They were pretty cool.

He quickly fell asleep only to awake with a start around three in the morning. He gasped for breath, holding his scarred chest, heart pounding abnormally fast - even for him. Cold sweat ran down his neck, and he realized what he had seen.

Gideon muttering to himself as he gathered items needed for a binding spell - or curse as it should be called. Pictures of Mabel strewn about the room. Venom dripping from his lips as he cackled about a blue-haired demon no longer being in his way.

Will thanked himself for sneaking into Gideon's room to place his insignia before bolting out of bed and dialing Fiddleford on the basement phone. The old man answered groggily but perked up enough as Will frantically begged him to come over - and bring silver.

The Pines would never agree to this - they would nobly try to figure out a different way - but Will wasn't about to take any chances - not again. He quietly let Fiddleford in and snuck him to the basement. He nodded solemnly as Will hurriedly explained his plan, drawing his personal pentagram on the floor.

"I-I need something from him," he said, his voice wobbly. "Some sort of body part - like blood or eyelashes -" Fiddleford gave Will a sympathetic pat on the shoulder as he tried to keep from crying. _They're going to hate me_ , Will thought.

Fiddleford ran upstairs and returned after a few moments with a curly lock of Ford's hair. Will placed it in a bowl and put the bowl inside the pentagram. A frame of Ford sat behind it. Candles flickered at the apexes. Silver powder framed the outer circle. He scrawled down the words of the spell he remembered like his own name and added it to Fiddleford.

He stood inside the circle and lit the outer ring on fire with a snap. The flames rose up, casting eerie shadows on the walls of the old portal room. Will conjured a knife and slowly removed his eyepatch, revealing a gaping eye socket. Steeling himself, he knelt over the bowl of Ford's hair and sliced the soft flesh where an eye had never appeared. Blood poured out, dripping steadily into the bowl. Will tried not to look at it.

"Do it!" he rasped. Fiddleford pointed and murmured the words on the paper. Will bit down on the sleeve of his sweater to keep from screaming as he felt the bond take effect. The candles flickered out. Glowing blue chains wound themselves around his wrists, sealing themselves before vanishing. The lights went back to normal and Will dropped back to the ground. He rubbed his head and stood back up. He looked down at his wrists and smiled, looking relieved.

"It worked," he whispered.

6-9-4-4-19 8-9-4-5-19 24-1-14-5-24 9-14 8-9-19 **2** -1-14-10-15.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Everyone else was in a good mood as Stanley continued to improve. He ditched the eyepatch and started running all the tours at the Shack. He wasn't exactly brimming with energy, but he was acting a lot like his old self. Ford couldn't explain the random shift in his behavior, but he was thankful for it all the while.

Will had changed noticeably as well. He no longer jumped at every shadow or touch. He was still quiet and organized, but he was relaxed. He clung to Dipper and Mabel, especially Mabel, on all their various adventures. He smiled more and had even started teaching Dipper some basic spells. Ford wasn't sure if he liked that yet - but he didn't want to ruin all the joy with his overactive paranoia.

Soos and Melody were spending more and more time away from the Shack as their wedding date loomed closer. Mabel had helped them plan everything out to the second. Mabel was going over there again today to help pick out flowers - with Will tagging along of course. The kid had a knack for flowers. Of course, Ford didn't know why they would bother buying flowers if Will could just conjure them at will.

. . .

Mabel was shoving various color swatches in her bag before bursting out the door. Will was already waiting out in the parking lot.

"Grunkle Stan - have you seen my glitter box?"

"You mean nightmare box? Absolutely not." She sighed, running upstairs to check the attic. She found it under her bed and dragged it out. She stopped at the triangular window, looking down at Will leaning against the fence, playing with the hem of his sweater. He wore it almost every day in spite of the heat. Mabel smiled and found herself lingering as a large truck pulled into the lot. It stopped and a short figure stepped out. She scowled as she recognized him.

"Ugh, Gideon. What is he doing here?" she muttered. Will either hadn't noticed or chose to ignore him as Gideon sauntered up to him, thumbs hooked in his belt loops. Will finally looked up, and they exchanged some words. Will no longer looked afraid of him - which Mabel was grateful for.

She didn't notice the baseball bat resting against the back of Gideon's leg until it was raised up in the air and slamming over the top of Will's head. The boy crumbled to the ground, and Gideon grinned as he dragged his limp body into the back of the car. Mabel bolted back down the stairs, glitter box forgotten.

"He's got Will!" she screamed. The Pines looked up at her, confused.

"What?"

"It's Gideon!" she said breathlessly. "He just knocked Will out and shoved him in his car!" She blinked back sudden tears. Dipper's face darkened as he grabbed Ford's crossbow off the wall. Ford grabbed his pack as he tried to dissuade Stanley from grabbing the keys.

"You punks have gone on enough adventures without me, can it, Ford!" They piled into the old Diablo as Ford floored it to the Tent of Telepathy. Mabel's assumptions grew worse and worse with each passing second.

They ran into the abandoned Tent to find it empty save for a limp figure lying on the stage.

"Will!" Mabel ran forward only to be repelled by a force field. Gideon's high, crackling laugh sounded as he walked across the stage in long, swinging steps. His eyes glittered, a brighter blue than normal. He was back to wearing his baby blue performance suit. A long red cut marred the fabric on his right arm.

"The Pines family!" he drawled. "How good to see you here! I had a feeling you'd be here!" Dipper aimed his crossbow at Gideon's forehead.

"Give us our demon back!" he shouted.

"Ooh - I'm afraid that bow won't make it past my shield. And he's not really your demon - is he? I mean - he's not . . . _bonded_ to any of you?" They stood silent. Gideon grinned.

"Thought so." He strolled around Will's lifeless body and kicked him in the stomach. He awoke with a cry, curling up on himself. "I'd stay right where you are, demon, if you know what's good for you." Will froze and laid there as the circle he was lying in ignited with fire. Gideon grabbed Will by the back of his sweater, yanking him off the ground and holding a knife to his throat.

"Demons don't make for very good friends," Gideon drawled. "I think they're much more useful as masters . . . or servants. It's harder to find demons who'll be servants, but this one seems tame enough." Will's eyes were wide with fear as he frantically looked at the Pines, helpless behind the shield. Tears dripped to the stage. Blood leaked from behind his eyepatch.

"Gideon's going to use the binding spell," Ford whispered. "Just like our counterparts did."

"BUD!" Gideon screamed. His dad tentatively walked up on stage, clutching a sheet of paper.

"P-please stop - don't do this!" Will begged. Gideon laughed. The knife dropped down to Will's wrist.

"You're pathetic." Will briefly wondered why Gideon would cut himself when any flesh would work on the master part as the knife was plunged into his wrist. Will vaguely heard screaming as his bleeding wrist was held over the bowl, mixing with Gideon's.

"Do it old man!" Gideon yelled. Bud hesitantly read out the spell. Will cried out as blue chains illuminated, burning against his skin. They floated in the air, like they were underwater. Mabel screamed and threw herself into the shield, beating on it with both fists. The fire fizzled out and Gideon let Will fall back to the ground. He laughed, rubbing his hands together.

"Looks like you're mine now, demon!" he laughed gleefully. He looked towards the Pines family, twirling his bloody knife. "I recommend you all scram before I decide to use my demon on you," he whispered. The Pines didn't move a muscle except for Mabel, who was still banging on the shield. They were frozen with shock. Will slowly stood to his feet, holding his bleeding arm.

"Sorry Gideon. You can't bind someone that's already been bound." Gideon slowly turned around, eyes widened in anger.

"What?"

"I bound myself to the Pines family as soon as I saw your plot! My twin's not the only one who can spy on people," Will said. He snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared from view. "The only humans that can order me around is them!" All across the room, the Pines' mouths fell open. Mabel stopped beating on the shield. Will looked at the blade hanging off of Ford's belt and snapped his fingers.

"Sorry, Ford." He said as the knife burst into flames. Ford yelped and threw the knife to the ground, where it quickly burned to embers. Will looked back at Gideon.

"And now there's nothing in the world you can do to break the spell." He snapped once more and the barrier sizzled away. Gideon's face twisted in rage.

"Well played, Blue!" he spat. "I guess that's one trait you do share with your brother. You're both devious little tricksters." Will blinked at the nickname. Mabel pumped her fist.

"Yeah that's right! In your face, Gideon!" she shouted.

"Hopefully she still likes you knowing what you're really like now," Gideon said. Will narrowed his eyes.

"I'm willing to take my chances. Being bound to them is better than ever being bound to someone like you!" he snarled.

"That's right!" Mabel screamed. Ford smirked and took an intimidating step towards Gideon, who was suddenly looking a lot less confident.

"Get out of here before I sick my demon on you," Ford said darkly. They watched Gideon turn tail and run from the stage, Bud following him. As soon as they disappeared, Will crumpled back to the ground, shaking. Mabel bolted to the stage and threw her arms around Will. He buried his head into her shoulder, crying from a mixture of relief, happiness, and fear. Mabel let a few tears of her own escape. Dipper joined their hug, squeezing them both tightly.

"I thought you were a goner Will! That was awesome!" he crowed. Stan and Ford hopped up on the stage. Stan looked like he had just won a bet.

"We could totally order him to destroy that little twerp!" he said mischievously, rubbing his hands together.

"Will." The hug drew apart as Ford tentatively approached Will. Will swallowed, more tears welling up in his eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know what else to do and I didn't want to put your family at risk. I-I'm so sorry . . . I didn't even ask you if it was okay I just -" Ford silenced him as he knelt down and fiercely hugged Will to his chest. Will floundered for a moment before settling down into Ford's arms, trying to wipe his eyes on his sweater sleeve.

"Will I'm not mad at you," Ford whispered. "That was one of the bravest things I've ever seen. Thank you." Mabel smiled down at the pair as they drew apart, Will's eyes wide.

"R-really?" Ford nodded.

"Of course. You're like part of the family now. If you want to be." Will smiled, one of his rare genuine smiles. He bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Master." Ford winced.

"Oh, please don't start calling me that. I'm no one's master and you're no one's servant. You don't have to do anything we say." Will held up his hands. The chains flashes into view.

"But I have to. If I don't listen to you the chains start to burn."

"Well then . . . I command you to only listen to me if you feel like it!" Ford offered. "Does that work?" Will lowered his hands.

"I guess so."

"Wait - why does Will only have to do what you say?" Mabel asked, confused.

"You can only bind yourself to one person," Ford said. _Will is Ford's demon now_ , Dipper realized. _Huh_.

"Okay - let's go home now," Stanley said. "You guys can be mushy there." They all chuckled and piled back into the Diablo. Mabel was quiet on the way home. Once they reached the Shack, Ford asked Will to come down with him into the basement. Once there, Ford shifted awkwardly.

"Why did you pick me to bind yourself to?" he asked. Will paused.

"Because you're the smartest one here. And the least emotional. And you've had more experience with my brother than the others. I figured if you needed me to do anything . . . you'd be the most willing to actually do it. You're the one best equipped to control me." Ford blinked.

"Oh." Was that supposed to make him feel better? He wasn't sure. Will fidgeted.

"I know you're suspicious of me. And you have every right to be. Even though I'm Bill's counterpart of sorts . . . we still share qualities. And those qualities can be dangerous. I-I try to not be like him - but I recognize my similarities. We did grow up together after all. We're both demons." Ford bit his lip.

"Listen Will, I didn't mean to make you feel attacked or anything. I don't suspect you . . . okay well I do," he said sheepishly. "But after tonight - I think it's fair to say that your good vastly outweighs your evil. Especially if you were willing to subject yourself to the most powerful human you could find of your own free will." Will smiled shyly. Ford returned the gaze, letting a hand rest on Will's shoulder. Will didn't flinch away.

"I know I'm just a paranoid old nerd, but I am beginning to trust you," Ford said slowly. "And I won't take advantage of the bond you've created between us." Will's face lit up with hope. He grinned.

"Promise?" he asked. Ford chuckled, extending his hand.

"Promise." Will shook his hand with gusto.

"And hey - if you've got some evil in you - surely Bill's got some good in him," Ford said. "I know what it feels like to lose a twin. Maybe you won't have to if you can reach that good part of him." Will snorted.

"Look who's being all optimistic," he teased. "You've been spending too much time with Mabel." Ford raised his eyebrow.

"Not as much as you have - so I've heard." Will flushed and turned to hide his face. Ford wasn't sure why. They were becoming good friends after all.

Will went back upstairs to find Mabel milling in the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Will and embraced him in another hug, resting her forehead on his chest. She reached down his arms and frowned as she felt his now-invisible chains floating in the air.

"Will, I'm so sorry. We didn't rescue you just so you could become a prisoner here," she said, looking down at the ground. Will smiled.

"It was my choice Mabel. Besides - I'm not trapped here. I can still travel and all the stuff I can normally do. I'm just bound to do whatever you Grunkle says, which doesn't seem like it will a problem."

"It doesn't feel right though," she said, biting her lip. Will smiled and for the first time ever, initiated his own hug, drawing Mabel close.

"There's no other family I would rather be stuck with, Mabel." They pulled apart, and he smiled at her. "I promise I'll do everything in my power to protect your family," he whispered.

. . .

Back at Gideon's house, Gideon slammed the door to his room as he screamed, fisting his hair. He spied the eye of providence with a line crossing through it on his wall and grabbed it, his fingers sinking through the drywall and pulling it loose. Blood dripped from his fingernails as he threw it to the ground, seething. How could he have forgotten about something so stupid! Will had always had a habit of crossing out Bill's insignia. They had been making it a contest between the two of them since they were little . . .

Bill slammed his foot into the side of Gideon's desk, hissing slightly as it began to throb. Mindscape Gideon floated above him, smirking slightly.

"I take it your plan did not go as follows." _My stupid, pathetic brother is smarter than I thought he was,_ Bill thought _. That's a mistake I can't make again._

"Forget this - I'll take over this dimension with or without him," Bill muttered. He relinquished the controls on Gideon's body and felt himself being sucked back into Stan's head. _I'll just have to figure out how to get Ford to destroy Will for me_ , he thought. He knew his twin was mostly good on the inside, but if Bill could reach that one little part of him that loved chaos and seeing the fear in people's eyes . . . then ol' Fordsy wouldn't have any choice but to destroy Will.

And then he could take this dimension for himself.

20-8-5 3-8-1-9-14-19 13-1-11-5 23-9-12-12 6-5-5-12 19-1-6- **5**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Everyone was exhausted after the previous day's events. It was actually Stan who volunteered to close the Shack for the day so everyone could relax. Wendy still came over so Dipper could update her on everything weird that had happened. She whistled as Ford and Fiddleford joined them at the table. Fidds had come over earlier to help Ford fix a machine, but couldn't stay long because his ex-wife was arriving in town to visit his son. In a surprise turn of events, she said that she actually wanted to see him - and he was equal parts ecstatic and nervous. Ford smiled to himself as poured himself a cup of coffee, continuing to make notes on his notepad.

"You really should have seen Will and Mabel dancing at the party," Dipper said. "It was hIlarious. They're adorable together."

"Oh, there's definitely something going on between them," Wendy said. Ford almost dropped his notepad. He straightened his glasses, raising his eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"No, I agree with Wendy," Dipper said, sipping his soda and doodling in his journal.

"Something like . . . what?"

"You _know_. . ." Wendy winked. Ford continued to look confused as Stan walked into the kitchen, beelining for the coffee pot like usual.

"C'mon Ford, you know what she means," Dipper said.

"What are we talking about?" Stan grumbled, grabbing a cup of coffee.

"Will and Mabel," Wendy said.

"Oh yeah. There's definitely something there," Stan said. Ford sighed.

"Will someone please explain what this something is?" Ford demanded.

"How do you not see it already?" Wendy asked.

"Sixer, here doesn't understand normal emotions," Stan teased, smacking his brother on the back of his head with a rolled-up newspaper. "Spell it out for the genius."

"Will and Mabel like each other but they haven't admitted it to each other or themselves yet," Dipper said. Ford blinked.

"Oh. That's it?" Wendy rolled her eyes. Dipper chuckled.

"You really couldn't pick that up?" Ford sNatched the newspaper from Stanley and buried his face in it.

"Why would I care about their romance?" he grumbled. Stanley laughed.

"Romance is the one thing my brother couldn't study enough to understand. Frustrates him like nothing else. While we were sailing - we ran into a pod of sirens. Ford had to tie me to the mast to keep me from going overboard. They tried everything to sway him but nothing worked."

"Whoa . . . So you're like . . . Immune to seduction," Wendy mused. "You're probably asexual."

"Not surprised," Dipper said, looking up from his journal. Ford rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you want to call it." Fidds laughed.

"Remember that time I tried to set you up on a date? Man - that was a bigger disaster than any of our failed experiments." Ford flushed, sinking deeper into his newspaper.

"Oh I gotta hear this," Stan said, leaning forward eagerly.

"I was heading back to my dorm when I heard them arguing."

"She was trying to take off my shirt!" Ford protested. "She didn't even ask - she just went for it!"

"You never hooked up once while you were at college? That . . . doesn't even surprise me," Stan laughed.

"I had a crush on the librarian for a while," Ford grumbled.

"You were more attracted to the books she was giving you!" Fiddleford teased.

"No desire to make out with the math books, eh Sixer?" Stan attempted to swirl his hips but the motion came out jerkier than it should have. Ford blushed and buried his head further in his newspaper.

"Never move your hips around like that again." The rest of the table burst out laughing. "At least my emotions don't distract me from my work!" Ford argued, giving Dipper a pointed look. Wendy pointed and laughed as Dipper shrugged.

"I'm not nearly as straight as my sister," he protested.

"Are you sure?" Wendy teased. Dipper stuck out his tongue.

"You wish." They continued to laugh and joke, unaware that on the other side of the vending machine, Will listened intently, his blush and sense of dread growing deeper with every passing sentence.

. . .

Mabel woke up and dragged Will up from the basement to hang out with Dipper and Wendy. Dipper suggested they invite Pacifica, and she showed up rather quickly, rolling her eyes and claiming she had nothing better to do. They were all in a hurry to forget the previous day. Wendy suggested a game of truth or dare. No one was brave enough to challenge her for something different, so they settled on the carpet and braced themselves.

The first few rounds were harmless . . . mostly. Mabel dared Dipper to do the lamby-lamby dance, and Dipper retaliated by daring Mabel to read a random page of her diary from their first summer in Gravity Falls. Will asked Pacifica what her real hair color was - which she staunchly refused to answer. Wendy smirked as it was her turn and swirled her glass of Mabel juice. She eyed Will like a tiger eyeing a steak.

"I dare you . . . to kiss Mabel on the cheek!" Will's jaw hit the floor. Mabel's face turned scarlet. Dipper and Pacifica burst out laughing. Wendy wiggled her eyebrows at Will, who looked like he had just been sentenced to death.

"C'mon Will, Mabel doesn't bite." She tried to convey confidence through her eyes. Will remained frozen, eyes wide. Mabel, for once, seemed shocked beyond words. Dipper wiped tears from his eyes.

"Um . . . Can I skip my turn?" Will asked meekly, eyes begging for mercy.

"Dare's a dare, hun. Pucker up," Pacifica smirked. Mabel narrowed her eyes at the blonde.

"Oh yeah? I dare you to kiss Dipper on the cheek!" Mabel shouted. This time, Dipper's jaw hit the floor as Pacifica turned scarlet. Mabel smirked and crossed her arms.

"How does it feel?" she taunted.

"It wasn't your turn, and I didn't pick dare!" Pacifica shouted.

"Oh - would it really be that bad to kiss me?" Dipper asked, indignant. Pacifica turned redder. Mabel shouted back, and soon they were both yelling at each other, Will looking like he wanted to burrow under the carpet, and Dipper wishing he could join him. Wendy casually sipped her drink. Grunkle Ford walked by the living room, saw the display of fighting, and continued walking, shaking his head.

Dipper rolled his eyes and grabbed Will's arm, quickly planting a kiss on the side of his face.

"There!" he shouted. "I kissed Will! Can we please move on?" Mabel and Pacifica stopped shouting. Will wrinkled his nose and wiped his face, giving Dipper a dirty look, but looking a little more relieved. Dipper wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "No more dares with kissing," he muttered. Pacifica smirked.

"So you do kiss aliens?" Dipper's face erupted in flames.

"I can still kiss you - you know!" he retorted.

"Wendy, truth or dare?" Will asked.

"Dare." He smiled.

"I dare you to buy me a pizza." Wendy laughed.

"Well played little man. What kind you like?" Wendy ordered all of them pizza. The game fizzled out and somehow Mabel talked them into a karaoke contest.

"Mabel - the only one here who can actually sing is Will!" Dipper protested a mike was shoved in his hand.

"Don't care!" Mabel said cheerfully. "You have to - or I'll eat all your pizza." Will wiggled his eyebrows.

"Scared to compete against me?" he drawled. Dipper flushed.

"Of course not!" Pacifica yanked the mike away from Dipper.

"You forgot about me, Sweetheart." Will grinned in anticipation.

"You're on, Blondie!" Mabel squealed as she selected a song. Wendy leaned against the wall, getting out her phone.

"This is gonna be good. Smile for the internet," she said, aiming her phone at the group. Will and Pacifica faced off as the song blasted through the speakers. Dipper rolled his eyes as Mabel shoved him beside Will. She sidled up beside Pacifica. Dipper saw the lyrics rolling across the screen and smirked.

" _Beware, beware, be skeptical, of their smiles, their smiles of plated gold, deceit so natural. But a wolf in sheep's clothing is more than a warning,_ " Dipper sang, pointing his finger at Pacifica.

" _Bah-bah-black sheep, have you any soul? No sir, by the way, what the hell are morals?_ " Will finished.

" _So could you tell me how you're sleeping easy, how you're only thinking of yourself,_ " Dipper sang, shifting his point to Mabel then back to Pacifica. " _Show me how you justify, telling all your lies like second nature._ "

" _Aware, aware, you stalk your prey with criminal mentality. You sink your teeth into the people you depend on, infecting everyone, you're quite the problem_ ," Pacifica sang, narrowing her eyes at Will.

" _Fee-fi-fo-fum, you better run and hide_ ," Will shot back.

" _I smell the blood of a petty little coward!_ " she retorted. " _Jack be lethal, Jack be slick, Jill will leave you lonely dying in a filthy ditch!_ " Stan walked into the room, blinking at the display before him. Will giggled and grabbed him by the hand, yanking him in the room. Stan raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Uh, what are you kids doing?" Mabel shoved a mike, _seriously, how many of those did she have?_ into Grunkle Stan's hand.

" _Maybe you'll change, abandon all your wicked ways, make amends and start anew again, maybe you'll see all the wrongs you did to me and start all over, start all over again._ " Will let go of Stan's hand. " _Who am I kidding? Now, let's not get overzealous here. If I could kill you I would, but it's frowned upon in all fifty states. Having said that -_ "

" _burn in hell!_ " Pacifica sang, cutting Will off. He smirked and faced her.

" _Listen, mark my words: one day_ ," he sang.

" _One day_ ,"

" _You will pay_."

" _You will pay._ "

" _Karma's gonna come collect your debt!_ " They sang in unison, throwing their heads back on the last note. Stan shook his head as he left the room, the group dissolving into laughter as the song ended.

"That was awesome!" Mabel cheered.

"That's all the singing you're getting out of me!" Dipper said flatly. She relented. They turned to watching Ducktective as the doorbell rang. Mabel hopped up.

"That must be pizza!" She jogged to the door and opened it only for a white-haired boy to fall on their threshold. Dipper joined her and gasped as the figure looked pitifully up at them. A fork was stuck out of his back, crusted blood frozen on his blue suit. The cut from his arm was starting to look green. Dark bags framed his eyes. Blood oozed out of his left eye, which was swollen shut. Ford ran up behind the twins, his hands automatically going to his crossbow.

Gideon propped himself up on his elbows and dug something out of his pocket, throwing it at the twins. It was a box of bright blue contacts.

"H-he's back," Gideon wheezed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Bill's back." Across the kitchen, Stan collapsed to the ground.

NBZQ ERVG WA IIMA IAL JIF KBUSWEBRL GPNB UM SW **H** VQ I GMEU GPNB QMFKEQOMQ PVA SMRTVVTA. 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Dipper and Mabel dragged Gideon inside the Shack. Ford carried Stan's body to his chair. Ducktective was turned off as Ford roughly pulled Gideon into a different chair, shining a flashlight into his remaining eye. Upon finding Gideon's eyes normal, he stood back. Dipper stood beside Ford, mimicking his posture. Wendy and Pacifica locked the doors and windows.

"You have three minutes to tell us what happened before we drop your butt into the bottomless pit!" Dipper snapped.

"Bill came to my house a few nights ago - wanting to trade bodies. He told me he would kill all of you if I didn't let him possess me - so I made a deal with him that made it so he couldn't hurt any of you. It was him that tried to bind Will - not me."

"What do you mean Bill came to your house?" Ford asked. "In a dream?"

"No, you idiot!" Gideon seethed, pointing an accusatory finger in Stan's direction. "Whose body do you think Bill wanted to trade! He's in your brother's mind! And since he's not in my body - I'm assuming he's in his!" Ford blinked and swore under his breath. Gideon's eyes widened.

"YOU KNEW?" he screeched. Will leaned over STanley and opened his eyes.

"They aren't yellow." Gideon scoffed.

"I'm sure the devil is more than capable of going to the store and buying contacts!" Will gently felt Stan's eyeball.

"Nope - he's clean."

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Mabel asked suspiciously.

"I-I don't know!" Gideon said, looking down at the carpet. "You guys already seem to know that Bill is in his head? Huh? Why don't you explain that?" Dipper quickly explained the Axolotl's promise. Gideon's face grew paler with each word.

"And you've just been letting him run around?" he seethed. "He could have killed somebody! He could have killed you guys! I thought you two were supposed to be the smart ones!"

"We are!" Dipper protested. "But it's not like Bill can still control Stan!" Silence dawned on them. Dipper paled. "Or maybe . . . _crap_." Ford started pacing.

"How could Bill be controlling him? I mean - we know they're linked somehow since Stan's mind is where he was nearly destroyed."

"The deal," Will said. "Bill is still using the last deal he made with Stan. He must be getting stronger."

"But why would Bill want to control you?" Ford asked.

"So Will wouldn't be able to stop him," Dipper realized. "We've told Stanley everything about the Axolotl and what the Oracle said about Will . . . if Bill really is trapped in Stan's head . . . actually sentient . . ."

"He's been hearing everything we've been explaining to Stanley," Ford whispered. They all turned to the sleeping old man in the chair.

"Then why hasn't he revealed himself?" Mabel asked. "If he really wanted us out of the way - why not just kill us all in our sleep?"

"The equation he needs to escape Gravity Falls is still locked in Ford's mind," Will said. "He's not going to sacrifice all his pawns right at the start of the game."

"And he knows we'd never hurt Stanley in an attempt to kill him," Dipper whispered. Ford swaying slightly as the color drained from his face. Everything made too much sense. Stanley's sudden increase and decrease in energy immediately following the fiasco at the Tent.

 _I've got you in the palm of my hand, Sixer._

"Ford, you okay?" Dipper asked, snapping his fingers in front of Ford's face. He sprang back to life.

"Lock Stanley in the basement," he whispered. "Hurry!"

The Pines halted the unconscious man to the lowest level of the basement - into the old portal room. They dragged in Will's bed and laid Stanley on it as they wound another circle of unicorn hair around it. Will casted some spells that made it so Stan couldn't hear anything outside the circle. They locked the door and stood back. Ford still felt like vomiting.

"What do we do now?" Will whispered, standing behind Dipper, who wasn't feeling too good either.

"We keep him here in case Bill tries to escape Stanley's mind again," Ford said hollowly. "That circle should contain him. We'll explain everything to Stanley when he wakes up."

"If it makes you feel better - I don't think Cipher has all his powers yet," Gideon said. "He seemed weaker than normal. He was relying more on physical strength than his own magic."

"That means he'll only get stronger," Dipper said.

"Wonder how the Axolotl's feeling about his decision right about now," Will muttered.

"Actually - that's a good point. Bill hasn't received his new form yet. Maybe if we can keep him trapped in Stanley's mind . . . we can defeat him before his resurrection," Ford mused.

"What if he tries to hurt Grunkle Stan?" Mabel asked.

"I don't think that's a move he can make," Dipper said. "Right now - hurting Stan mean hurting himself - since he's trapped in his head."

"What if Bill's new form _is_ Grunkle Stan?" she asked worriedly.

"The Axolotl promised a new form - a resurrection. WHatever he comes back as - it's be as something new - not something old," Will said.

"Especially that old," Gideon muttered. Ford frowned.

"I need to run some errands. I'll be back in a day or so." Dipper raised his eyebrow as his Grunkle took the portal gun out of its' case.

"What errands are you running exactly?" he asked.

"I'm going to another parallel dimension for some NowUSeeItNowUDontium. It's time to recharge my quantum destabilizer." Ford aimed the gun and shot it, stepping through the swirling green vortex. The teens all looked at each other uncertainty before Will noticed Gideon still had a fork sticking out of his back. They headed back upstairs where Pacifica was the only one tough enough to rip the utensil from Gideon's back. He screamed in a pitch higher than Dipper ever had, stumbling over to the trashcan before vomiting on the floor. Wendy helped patch up his wounds as Dipper and Mabel exchanged worried glances up at the sky, halfway expecting to see a large tear in the sky appear any second.

"Well, at least we know what's going on now," Dipper said, trying to fill the heavy silence. Will pulled his knees up to his chest, rocking back and forth slightly as Mabel picked at her sweater sleeve.

"I don't want to lose Grunkle Stan," she whispered. Dipper swallowed.

"Neither do I." He hardened his gaze and clenched his fists. "And we won't. We defeated Bill several times before, and we'll do it again. We're Pines!" he shouted, raising his fist to the sky.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, causing everyone to jump about a foot in the air. Dipper grabbed the crossbow before carefully walking over to the door. He threw the door open and brandished his weapon. The teen's eyes went wide.

"Umm . . . pizza delivery?"

. . .

"They always send me to their wEird houses," the delivery guy grumbled as Wendy sheepishly tipped him extra.

"I think you're a little too trigger-happy with that bow," Mabel pointed out as Dipper hung it back on the wall.

"I haven't actually shot anyone with it," Dipper grumbled. Pacifica blew through her lips as Gideon gingerly laid on the carpet.

"What do we do now?" she whispered, looking worried. Dipper swallowed, ringing his hands.

"I don't know," he said honestly. He looked at Will.

"Any ideas?" Will shook his head. Pacifica glared.

"He's your twin - isn't he? Can't you talk some sense into him?" Will shot her a dirty look.

"He's my opposite, Blondie!" he snapped, his eye briefly catching on fire before fizzling out. Gideon sighed.

"I can't believe you're a demon," he breathed. "You look harmless."

"Leave him alone, Gideon!" Wendy retorted. Will pulled at the hem of his sweater. Mabel's eyes widened.

"The wedding!" Everyone stared at her.

"What?"

"The wedding! Stan is Soos' best man! He can't miss it!" It took every fiber of Dipper's being not to combust.

"Mabel - I know marriage is important or whatever - but right now - the most psychotic dream demon in the multiverse is literally _stuck_ in our Grunkle's _mind_ and is _plotting to destroy our dimension!_ " Dipper's voice rose to a high-pitched squeak by the end of the sentence. Mabel threw her hands up in the air.

"I know - but this is really important to Soos! He doesn't have a _dad_ for crying out loud, Dipper!"

"Uh, Mabel, I think I have to side with Dipper on this one," Wendy said. The others nodded their agreement. Mabel stuck out her lower lip, and then brightened.

"Not if he's awake!"

"What?"

"Stan only has his crazy fits when he's asleep! If we can keep him awake during the wedding - then everything will be fine!"

"Um, I hate to break it to you darling, but Stan was most certainly not asleep when he was choking me!" Gideon argued.

"He had to have been! Otherwise he would have remembered and told us!" she argued back. _Darn, she actually has a good point_ , Dipper thought.

"How do we know Bill can't take control of Stanley while he's awake?" Will asked. Mabel bit her lip.

"I-I don't know." Dipper sighed.

"Well - there's no point in arguing about it tonight. Let's all go to bed and try to get some rest." Wendy offered to take Pacifica and Gideon back on her motorcycle. Gideon made Dipper swear to watch Stan like a hawk before he was willing to leave. Dipper watched his friends leave with a heavy heart. He grabbed a blanket and joined Will downstairs in the basement. Stan remained asleep in his bubble, occasionally tossing his head and muttering.

"Are you scared of your brother coming back?" Dipper asked. Will sighed.

"Of course I am."

"Would you get rid of him if you had the chance?"

"I promised I would try to help him even though I think he can't be helped. I mean . . . he's still family . . . even after all he's done. I can't just forget about him, as much as I would like to. Ford seems to think there's a chance to help him. You understand. You would do anything for Mabel - even if she went off the deep end." Dipper nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah I would." They fell asleep on the hard floor.

. . .

Ford reappeared through the portal early the next morning, startling the two boys awake. He held a case of a strange glowing element in his six-fingered hand. A quick check told them Stan had yet to awaken. Ford left the case in the basement and announced he was going to bed - telling the boys to wake him up immediately when Stanley came to.

. . .

Mabel went off like usual to go wedding plan as Dipper and Will took turns guarding the basement. It wasn't until late in the afternoon when Stan finally woke up, confused at the sudden change of scenery.

"Wha - what's going on?" he asked, sitting up and rubbing his head. "Where am I?" Will yelled for Dipper and Ford, who immediately came crashing into the basement. Will removed the silence spells. Stan raised his eyebrow at Ford.

"Stanley! How are you feeling?" Ford demanded.

"Uhh . . . fine? Tired? Why am I in the basement?" He made to stand up. Ford held up his hands.

"No, Stanley, wait!" To everyone's surprise, Stan walked right through the circle of unicorn hair. Ford sagged.

"That's not good."

"What's not good?" Stanley demanded. "You're freaking me out, Poindexter."

"Do you remember ever going to Gideon's house?" Dipper asked. He scoffed.

"Why would I ever go to that loser's house? I mean . . . I could steal another painting of theirs, but no I haven't done so recently. Why? You all looked like you just saw someone die." Ford explained what Gideon had told them. Stan sat back down on the bed as he finished.

"So the little demon really is trapped in my mind, huh?"

"You don't remember anything from when you pass out?" Dipper pressed. Stan shook his head.

"Sorry kid." He looked down at the circle of unicorn hair. "Were you guys trying to keep me in a cage or something?" Ford rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"We kinda panicked there for a minute. Although it doesn't seem to work anyway."

"Does that mean Bill is in someone else's head?" Dipper asked.

"He could be. Although from what we've seen, he seems tied to Stanley's. I don't think he's capable of just floating around by himself at this point. If he isn't is someone else's head - he has to be in Stanley's."

"Does that mean I can go eat breakfast or something? I'm hungry." They trekked back upstairs as Mabel came through the back door. She squealed when she saw her Grunkle, tackling him in a hug.

"You're okay! And not possessed!"

"Sure am, Kid." Mabel happily volunteered to make him bacon as he sipped at his coffee. Ford continued to pester him with questions as he ate. Mabel was quick to bring up the fact that Soos' wedding was in a week, and since Grunkle Stan was feeling better, and _since the shield thing didn't even work_ , they should have no problem whatsoever with him being Soos' best man. Ford relented and said it was fine - as long as Stan was conscious. Mabel thanked him a million times before rushing off again. Will stood by in the corner like a ghost, fiddling with his fingers and staring at the ground.

. . .

The next week rushed by like wildfire. The big day, Mabel marched around like she was the President of the World, telling everyone exactly what they should be doing. She enlisted Will to help her with outfits. She even dragged Pacifica along.

The wedding was being held in the Mystery Shack parking lot. Mabel had tried to convince Soos to go somewhere pretty, but he had insisted. The Mystery Shack was where they had started their adventures, and he wanted the best day of his life to be there as well. Will made it better by turning the gravel into a meadow, complete with various wildflowers and a stone walkway. White streamers hung from the roof and blew lazily in the wind. Random chairs from around the house stood in small rows before a modest altar.

Pacifica coaxed Dipper into yet another suit. Will opted for a simple blue button down and slacks instead of his fancy tailcoat and top hat. Stan was awake and dressed in his usual Man of Mystery suit, trying to keep up his energy. Mabel wore a simple light pink sundress with yellow flats. Surprisingly enough, Ford was the hardest target. Dipper had never seen him without his trench coat on, _seriously - never_ , and Pacifica and Will had to all put pry it off of him before he would change. Ford finally emerged from the bathroom wearing one of Stan's spare suits, looking like a kid being forced to dress up for church.

"Happy now?" he muttered. Pacifica, clad in a light blue sundress similar to Mabel's, clapped her hands and smiled.

"Yes - you look cute." The guests began to fill up the seats. Mabel looked around to make sure everything was perfect before checking on Melody. Will had helped with the dress design. She wore a simple, modest, white lace dress with cap sleeves and a train. Will added sparkles to her bouquet as Mabel gave her a pep talk.

Meanwhile, Stan and Soos shared a meaningful handshake as they waited beside the altar. Soos' heart was beating faster than he thought possible, and he really hoped he had yet to sweat through his suit. Dipper, Mabel, Will, and Pacifica all sat down together in the last row right before the music started. Everyone stood up as Melody walked herself down the aisle, her smile filling up her whole face. Soos' eyes filled with tears as she reached the top and faced him. Stan handed Soos the rings as Mayor Cutebiker officiated the ceremony. Vows were said, and Mabel snapped a million pictures for her scrapbook as they kissed. Everyone cheered and flowers burst out of the ground as they ran back down the aisle, laughing.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of dancing and pizza. Instead of hogging the party like they normally did, the teens hung back and let Soos and Melody take the spotlight.

"Wow, you really did a good job planning this thing, Mabel," Dipper commented, sipping on a cup of punch. She beamed.

"I know right! It turned out perfectly!" Mabel sighed contentedly. She looked across the way and saw Stan chatting up Lazy Susan. He was back to wearing his eye patch. Ford remained sitting in one of the chairs, watching the party from a comfortable distance, bopping his head to the music. Lazy Susan giggled at something Stan said and excused herself to the lady's room. Stan grinned triumphantly as he sipped at his cup.

"Hey Mabel!" Wendy walked up to them, wearing a soft green dress. "This wedding rocks! Can you plan mine?"

"You mean when Dipper finally admits he's still in love with you?" Mabel teased, nudging her brother. He ignored her, still watching Stan, who winced and held his hands up to his forehead. He had insisted he felt fine this morning - no headache or pain - but Dipper knew he would ignore anything short of a severed limb to be there for Soos on his big day. Dipper's heart dropped as he saw the familiar crimson stream fall down the left side of his face. Mabel turned around, and her teasing smile quickly faded. Dipper shoved his cup in her hands as Stan collapsed to the ground.

His Grunkle's scream was by far the loudest noise he had ever heard. His Grunkle never screamed - especially not like that. Like he was in agony. He fisted the ground as Dipper reached him, shaking him.

"Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Stan, can you hear me?" Dipper shouted. Ford landed beside him, white as a ghost as another scream ripped through Stan's body.

"Get him inside! Hurry!"

"Mabel - get everyone out of here!" Dipper shouted. She nodded mutely and spun around, shouting at the crowd. They dragged Stan's thrashing body off the ground, half dragging him through the ground. He was moving so much it was difficult to keep hold of him. They lost their grip halfway to the door. Stan fell back to the ground, twisting back and forth. The outline of his body was hazy, like someone had tried to erase him but didn't quite get the job done. They tried grabbing him several more times before giving up. Ford pulled Dipper back as Mabel and Will ran up behind them.

"Everyone's gone," she said.

"What's happening to him?" Will whispered. Stan gasped for breath, sweat soaking through his suit. He groaned, clawing at his bleeding eye.

" _huhkvhk_ ," he whispered. Ford threw his arms in front of his family as Stan's body seemed to rip in half. The normal half collapsed back to the ground, unmoving. Mabel tried to claw past Ford's arm.

"Grunkle Stan!" The other half contorted, screaming as its body morphed. Bright light shone from the form as it stabilized and finally lay still. Beside it, Stan's eyes fluttered open as he groaned.

"Sixer, what did you do this time?" he grumbled. Ford finally let his arms fall down as they stared mutely at the other form - which was now rising to its feet. Will grabbed onto the back of Dipper's shirt, his knuckles white.

The figure stumbled slightly as he stood, but nevertheless cackled as he saw his twin hiding behind Pine Tree. He held out his arms slightly, showing off his new form.

"Look Will," he chuckled. "We're matching." Bill promptly fainted, face planting on the ground.

MOI IPDSH HXSMOLVR NYR XYBA LBZ NHI MOEM **U** MZOX.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Stan sat up, securing his fez, wincing at the blood on his clothes.

"Hot BelgiaN waffles, Ford . . . what did you do?"

"It wasn't me," Ford whispered, looking close to fainting himself. Dipper shifted Will over to Mabel as he carefully walked up to Bill's body. He poked him before rolling him over. _Thanks a lot, Axolotl,_ Dipper thought. _Your timing sucks_.

"Well, he's either dead or unconscious," Dipper announced. The Pines slowly gathered in around him, gawking. Bill looked almost exactly like Will except for a different color scheme. His hair was yellow-golden, hanging in his face the same way Will's did. He wore the same tailored tailcoat Will had worn for the Northwest's party except for yellow. He too was missing an eye - an empty socket looming. A top hat floated a few inches above his head.

"So that's Bill huh? I thought he'd be . . . scarier looking," Stan muttered.

"Don't let his appearance fool you," Dipper said, crossing his arms. Ford clenched his fists.

"Bring him to the lab. I say we kill him before he has a chance to wake up."

"Sounds good to me," Stan said. Mabel felt Will's grip on her sweater get tighter. Ford knelt down and scooped Bill off the ground. His limbs dangled like a corpse. Everyone followed Ford as he hurried down into the basement. He unceremoniously dropped Bill on the ground as he dug out his quantum destabilizer. He cocked it and aimed at Bill's skull.

"Wait . . ." The sound was so quiet only someone paying attention would have heard it. Ford turned around to see Will still crouched behind Mabel, eyes wide. Will swallowed.

"C-can I least try to talk to him first?" Ford blinked. Dipper's jaw went slack.

"Um Will - no offense but he tried to kill all of us. And from what I understAnd - burned your dimension to the ground. Why exactly do you want to talk to him?"

"Yeah Will. Why?" Ford asked, his jaw clenched. Will shifted uncomfortably, his chains suddenly feeling much heavier under Ford's glare.

"That was the whole point of him getting a new form right? A chance to be redeemed?"

"You said it yourself. Bill is a lost cause," Ford said thickly.

"And you said it might be possible!" Will argued. Ford's glare got deeper. Will shrank back.

"I just want to try," he whispered. "Give me five minutes. It took me a week to have enough energy to walk when I first got my body. He's weak right now. Plus, he doesn't have the rift - or any sort of way to connect this world to the nightmare realm - which was his whole goal last time. He's weak. If he doesn't want to change - then kill him. Just let me try . . . p-please." For a moment, it looked like Ford was going to ignore Will and blast Bill's brains out. But he let the quantum destabilizer fall to the ground.

"Fine." The rest of the Pines gawked open-mouthed at Ford as he shoved the gun back in its' case. Will's eyes lit up, and he let go of Mabel's sweater to grab Ford in a hug.

"Thank you!"

"On one condition." Will stood back. "We bind him to Stanley," Ford said. Will's jaw went slack. Stan held up his hand.

"You want to do _what_?" he asked.

"We bind Bill to Stan. Stan is the only one of us who Bill hasn't deceived in the past. Stanley is the only one I trust to see through Bill's lies and deceit. It takes a conman to know a conman." Stan crossed his arms, trying to decide if that was a compliment or not.

"What happens to the bond if you kill Bill?" Will asked.

"Nothing really. Killing the master is the only way to truly break a bond," Ford said. "I've been researching it in my spare time. As long as we keep Bill contained and forbid him from killing Stanley - we won't have to worry about it being broken. And this gives us a surefire way to control Bill while you're trying to talk some sense into him." Ford looked down at Will. "If this doesn't suit you - I can just kill him now." Will shook his head.

"No - that's fine. Bind him all you want." Ford looked at Stan.

"You on board?" Stan shrugged.

"Whatever I got to do to save your sorry butt," he muttered with bravado - but everyone could hear the slight treMor in his voice.

"Get the candles," Ford said. "I'd rather do this while he's unconscious." Mabel gathered the candles and silver as Will drew the pentagram on the floor. Dipper lit the candles as Will carefully dragged his brother's body in the circle. Will conjured a knife and carefully slit Bill's wrist, allowing blood to drip into the bowl. Stan cut off a piece of his hair and dropped it in the bowl. Will lit the circle on fire and scribbled down the incantation. Dipper volunteered to read it. Stan stood in front of Bill as Dipper read the spell. Bill's body jerked as glowing blue chains looped themselves around his wrists and trailed off into the air.

The fire went out, leaving delicate tendrils of smoke in the air.

"It worked," Will said. Ford muttered something about being sick of demons as Will cleared away the candles and tried shaking his brother awake to no avail. Though the bond was secure, Ford still insisted on Bill being kept in the cage Dipper had once kept the Gremloblin in - with a unicorn hair barrier for extra protection. Mabel did not offer to get Bill a blanket. In the end, Will took off his sweater and placed it on Bill as he slept.

Will stayed down in the basement as the rest of the Pines went back upstairs. Mabel thought about staying down there with him, but couldn't stomach the idea of being around Bill for a second more than she had to. She understood the urge Will felt to protect him. It was the same urge she felt to protect Dipper. But Bill had tried to kill Dipper - and she couldn't make herself feel any sympathy.

Will sat down on the cold ground next to his brother's cage, hugging his knees to his chest, halfway hoping Mabel would make him another sweater. He could, of course, conjure his own, but it wouldn't be the same.

He eventually dozed off after a fEw hours of staring at his brother's unmoving body. He was awoken by a loud curse. He startled awake, falling out of the bed as he saw Bill nursing his hand from where he had undoubtedly bashed against the metal bars. Will scrambled to his feet as Bill noticed him, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"My dear brother. How long has it been? Few . . . billion years?" _Be brave_ , Will counselled himself. _If Bill can have weak moments, you can have brave ones._ He walked to his brother's cage.

"Sounds about right," he said slowly. His sweater hung awkwardly off Bill's thin body - juxtaposed with the fancy outfit.

"So you greet me by locking me in a cage," Bill said, his eyes narrowing.

"You know that's the least you deserve," Will said, trying to keep eye contact. Bill shrugged.

"Yeah sure karma whatever. But I'm more curious about WHO BOUND ME!" His chains flashed in the hair as Bill slammed his fists into the bars - his eye lighting on blue fire.

"Dipper did," Will said. "You're bound to Stan." Bill's fire burned out as he burst into cackling laughter.

"I'm bound to old Fez?" He slapped his knee. "Whose great idea was that?"

"Ford's," Will said, suddenly regretting all he had told Bill. Surely it was a better idea to keep him in the dark? Then again - it wasn't like he could use the information to escape. "Listen Bill - we need to talk. Do you know why you're here? Do you remember what you did?"

"Of course I remember!" Bill snapped, sinking down to the floor. Will swallowed.

"Well then - you know that the Axolotl wanted to give you a second chance to redeem yourself." Bill's gaze darkened as Will stammered on. "I know some part of you is good Bill. It's really deep inside you - but it's there. If we can just reach that part, maybe you can change and things can go back to norm -"

"Listen Will," Bill hissed. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I chose to embrace the fun side of myself all those years ago. If you think I'm going to change now - when I'm so close to getting what I want . . . then you're more insane than I'll ever be." Will clenched his jaw.

"Well - I'm still not giving up on you!" he protested. "We're family, as much as I'd rather have nothing to do with you, and you know I've always been -"

"Loyal to a fault," Bill drawled. "That's exactly what I'm counting on, Blue." Bill picked at Will's sweater. "Lemme guess, Shooting Star made this for you?" Will nodded. Bill grinned and suddenly the sweater was in flames. Will gasped as it quickly burnt down to thread, leaving nothing but ash. Will felt his eye turning red as he floated up off the ground.

"How dare you!" he shouted, slashing his arm across his body. Bill fell backwards, a long cut running across his chest, dripping blood. Will gasped as he fell back down to the ground. "Bill! Oh my gosh - I'm so sorry!" Bill just laughed. He fingered the wound and licked the blood off of his finger, eye glittering.

"Pain is hilarious." Will bit his lip and caught between fury and regret, bolted from the room, trying to keep himself from crying.

Mabel and Dipper looked up from the living room as he burst through the vending machine door, chest heaving as he dug his nails into the palms of his hands.

"I take it project rehabilitate the psychopath didn't go so well?" Dipper asked. Will felt his anger rising up once more.

"Shut _up_!" The TV suddenly exploded, smoke rising up from the top as Will bolted out into the woods, leaving behind a shocked Dipper and Mabel.

. . .

Dipper went to update Ford and Stan as Mabel halfheartedly tried to fix the TV before going out and searching for Will to no avail. They ate in silence without Will, silently wondering if they had made the right decision. Ford was stuck between letting Will try to talk some sense into Bill - or just killing Bill while he was off brooding. Surely Will would understand? Maybe Will had even changed his mind and would welcome the news his twin was dead. But Ford couldn't make himself do it, the echo of Will's begging from earlier playing like a broken record in his brain.

Will finally came back as they were clearing away the dishes. He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down at the floor.

"Sorry I broke the TV," he muttered. "I can fix it."

"Yeah you better fix it!" Stan grumbled, trying to sound madder than he was. Ford rested a hand on Will's shoulder. His sweater was gone, and his eyes were red.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked. Will firmly shook his head no.

"Want one of us to try talking to him?" Dipper offered sheepishly, feeling slightly guilty for setting Will off earlier. And surprised. _Nothing_ made Will mad.

"No. How much longer do I have?" Will asked Ford.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "You're the one who knows him best." Will snorted.

"Yeah. Right." He descended back into the basement, head bowed.

"Demon's a real piece of work," Stan muttered.

. . .

Will tried to no avail to talk Bill down throughout the night. Bill either ignored him or tried his best to make Will mad enough to leave the room. Will finally gave up and tried to sleep through the sound of his brother's taunting or occasional lighting his cage on fire. He wasn't strong enough to do any major damage yet.

. . .

Several days passed with no such success. Dipper and Mabel took turns fetching Will from the basement to remind him to eat something. Neither of them refused to acknowledge Bill's presence - though he always tried to get a reaction out of them. He looked absolutely exhausted but refused to let anyone else talk to Bill, insisting he could do this by himself. No one was really eager to challenge him. For the first time ever, Ford avoided his beloved lab like the plague - instead devoting all his nervous energy to making sure Stanley was okay. Which of course he was - Stanley was always okay. On day four, Mabel insisted Will take a break and go for a walk in the woods with her, bribing him with a replacement sweater. He relented. Stan carefully noticed his absence, announcing that he too was going to go out for a while. He quickly drove to the diner to pick up some food and slipped down into the basement upon his return. Bill lazily picked his head up as he heard footsteps, and he laughed as he saw Stan step into the light.

"Fez. Was wondering when you were gonna show up. Seems my brother has been hogging me," Bill said.

"Yeah whatever you want to tell yourself, demon." Stan pulled up a chair and sat, crossing his legs. The smell of food wafted to Bill, and he found himself sitting up, eyeing the bag.

"I know you supposedly have some 'good side' of you that Will keeps droning on about. I guess if he's right we can guilt-trip you into feeling something that isn't anger or power-hungry." Bill crossed his arms, eyes still on the bag of food.

"Is that what you're trying to do?" Stan shrugged.

"Eh - maybe later. I'm a bit more realistic than your brother. I know that even if you can change - you don't want to." Bill smiled.

"You may just be the smartest one in this Shack." Stan smiled softly to himself.

"Yeah well - I'm here to tell you why it may be in your best interest to cooperate with us. Especially Will." Bill scoffed.

"You can try, Fez." Bill tried to ignore the squirming in his gut as he read Stan's smile. He knew something Bill didn't - and it was unnerving him.

"I'm afraid your change of heart has an expiration date." Bill blinked, the smile suddenly vanishing from his face. Stan grinned. "Oh - so I was right! Will hadn't exactly explained that to you yet - has he?" Bill crossed his arms and scowled, trying to ignore the increased beating of his new heart. "Yeah. Will begged so Ford didn't shoot you in the face with his quantum whatever right when you first appeared. You should probably thank him for that - by the way. But Ford only gave him so long to try to rehabilitate you before blasting you back to atoms." For the first time probably ever - Bill was speechless. "Might I suggest trying to find that good part of yourself before Will gives up on you or my brother gets impatient," Stan said darkly. "You don't have many pawns to play with here. You have to do whatever I say - oh and by the way, you're not allowed to kill me - you can't even get out of that cage - and you're alive right now purely because the family who you tried to maim decided to hesitate before blowing your brains out. You've got no rift - no portal - no minions. You're weak. And on a more urgent level - I bet you're starving after three days without food. And if we do decide to give you food - I bet even you'd be embarrassed to use that cage as a bathroom." Stan stood up.

"So I'd maybe rethink your game plan here." He left the bag of food on the ground as he walked towards the elevator. "Will can give you that food if he feels like it." Stan smirked to himself as he heard Bill banging on the walls of his prison, shouting and screaming every curse in the multiverse as Stan disappeared from sight.

. . .

Will went back down into the basement that night with his new sweater to see Bill sitting in the middle of his cage, his head bowed down.

"I'm ready to work with you." Will dropped the book he was carrying.

"What?" he demanded. Bill looked up, his eye looking tired and dark.

"I'm ready to work with you. Finding the good part of my soul or whatever." Will set his book down and crossed his arms.

"Really? And why should I believe you? Yesterday you were saying you should've burned me along with our parents," Will said icily. Bill rolled his eyes.

"Always gotta bring up the past, don't you, Blue?" Bill squirmed under his brother's glare. "Okay fine, whatever. Can't you just use Fez to make me tell the truth or whatever?" Bill immediately regretted saying that. That was the very last thing he needed. "Don't you want to believe me?" he said with a slight drawl to his voice. Will hesitated.

"Okay, fine. Let's say you do. What are you going to do to change?" Bill blinked. He tried to wrack his brain for an answer. He hadn't betted on this being so hard.

"I don't know!" he snapped, frustrated. "Isn't that supposed to be your job?" Will raised his eyebrow before grabbing his book and turning back around.

"I'll let you brainstorm that for a little while longer." He walked back out as Bill forced himself not to leap against the cage bars.

"Wait! Can you at least bring me some food!" he shouted as he disappeared from view.

. . .

The next day, Will came down to the basement armed with an expecting look.

"Come up with anything, Gold?" he asked flatly.

"Okay yeah - I've been thinking. I can um . . . restore all the stuff I destroyed during Weirdmaggedon?" Bill offered.

"It's already been restored," Will said. Bill's interest was piqued.

"Oh really? That's interesting," he mused.

"Try again," Will said, still standing. _He doesn't think I have any more ideas_ , Bill thought. _I'll show him!_

"I can um . . . um . . ." _Crap, why was this so hard?_ Will rolled his eyes and started to leave. Bill held out his hand. "Wait!" Will stopped, turning his head around. "I can work in the Mystery Shack!" Bill offered. "Or I can do other chores around the house." Will's face softened slightly. _Closer_ , Bill realized. "I can even help him lead tours. I could put on a bigger show than that old geezer any day." _Okay maybe not insult the ones you're trying to impress._ "I can show Sixer around the parts of the forest even he's never been before . . . help him with his research." _Okay - maybe Sixer wouldn't be too keen on Bill helping him with his research after what happened last time._ "Um, I can help Pine Tree pick up that girl he had a crush on? What was her name - Wendy?" Will was beginning to lose interest. Bill screamed internally as he tried to come up with something - anything to get his stupid brother to believe him. "I'll apologize." _That was it._

Will's jaw dropped and he turned completely around.

"No you won't," he said, calling out his bluff immediately. Will knew the one weakness his brother had more so than anything else - his pride. Bill had never apologized for anything ever in all the trillions of years he had existed. Bill ignored his brain screaming at him and held to his resolve.

"Yes I will," he argued.

"Prove it!" Will challenged. "Apologize for destroying my sweater." Bill took a deep breath.

"I . . . am . . . sorryfordestroyingyoursweater," he forced out through clenched teeth. Will smirked the slightest bit.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Bill momentarily considered killing himself with Ford's quantum destabilizer before taking another deep breath.

"I. Am. Sorry. For. Destroying. Your. Sweater," he breathed. Will nodded.

"I have to admit - I'm impressed, Gold." Bill took a breath.

"Does that mean you believe me?" Will tilted his head in contemplation.

"I . . . do," he said slowly. "But that doesn't mean I trust you." Bill nodded.

"Fair enough."

"Let me go talk to the others," Will said.

"Can you bring me some food?" Bill asked. "Please?" he added, wincing at the word on his tongue. Will's face lit up more.

"Yes. I can."

Will all but flew up to the main floor, blubbering a mile a minute about how Bill had suddenly changed his tune. Everyone was skeptical of course - but even Dipper was swayed by Will's insistence that Bill was acting differently. Will swore up and down that Bill had literally never apologized and it was the last thing he would ever do. He's rather die than apologize. So they chose to believe Will, with Stan smirking slightly in the background as he congratulated Will. Mabel even smiled and volunteered to make Bill a sweater.

Ford, meanwhile, stayed quiet. As the conversation fizzled out, he strode outside, slamming the door on his way out. Everyone raised their eyebrows.

"What's wrong with him?" Will asked. Stan sighed.

"He's been acting weird. Weirder than normal since Bill was resurrected."

"Understandably so," Dipper pointed out.

"Should we try to talk to him?" Will asked, feeling responsible. They carefully made their way out to the deck. Ford rested his arms on his knees as he sat on the staircase, looking out blankly into the woods. Stan sat next to Ford on the steps, offering him a can of Pitt Cola.

"What's on your mind, Sixer?" he asked gruffly. The others joined them on the steps, offering consoling glances towards Ford. He looked smaller than normal. He stayed quiet. Dipper bit his lip. He couldn't begin to imagine the turmoil his Grunkle had felt, realizing he had been played for a fool so personally. Bill had almost driven him off the edge.

"I can't stand it," he finally said.

"Can't stand what?"

"Having that _thing_ in my house!" he shouted suddenly, clenching his fists. "First he takes over my brain and now I'm letting him live in my home like he's some innocent?" Ford tried to control himself, burying his head in his hands. He needed to calm down - especially since the kids - young adults - were watching. "He doesn't even look like a monster," he whispered. "He looks like Will. He looks so . . . young. Like a kid. A young man." Will shifted uncomfortably.

"We could always move Bill to the bunker in the woods," Dipper suggested. Ford shook his head, looking miserable.

"It wouldn't change anything." Mabel frowned, sensing there was something deeper going on that Ford wasn't wanting to admit.

"Well - if he changes - then you won't have to worry about him destroying anything anymore!" Mabel offered. "It doesn't change the past - but you won't have to be scared of him anymore."

"I'm not scared of him." _Everyone is scared of Bill_ , Dipper thought. _How could you not be?_ Will blinked.

"You're mad at him?" Ford laughed.

"Of course I'm mad at him! He betrayed me. He tried to hurt my family. He said he trusted me - that I was special. That we were friends . . . partners." Mabel blinked in realization.

"You used to have . . . feelings for my brother?" Will asked hesitantly. Ford sighed.

"Not the same way you all have feelings for each other. I guess you could say that I loved him in a sense. I loved his intelligence and the way he treated me like a partner. His confidence in me. The way I didn't feel weird around him. I worshipped him."

"If he changed do you think you would forgive him?" Mabel asked. "Like there could be something between you?" Stan scoffed. Mabel shot him a dirty look. Ford chuckled and shook his head.

"It's not that kind of love, Mabel. Besides - it wouldn't happen regardless. There's no way I would ever be with someone like that. Who used me. Who tried to hurt my family. Not in a billion alternative dimensions. You can forgive people who abuse you but that doesn't mean you have to go crawling back to them. Besides. Who needs a committed relationship when I have a quantum destabilizer that can literally blow any emotional connection to atomic bits!" he laughed, a slightly manic gleam in his eyes. "I've been regretting that shot I missed." Dipper, Mabel and Stan smirked.

"You know . . . My ex-wife still misses me," Dipper drawled.

"BUT HER AIM IS GETTIN' BETTER!" Mabel finished, the twins collapsing in on themselves from laughter. Ford groaned as Stan slapped his knee, smiling proudly down at his great niece and nephew.

"I've taught you two rascals well," he grinned.

"So what about Fiddleford and you?" Mabel asked. Ford raised his eyebrow.

"What about us?"

"Well while we're on the subject of romance -"

"Not that kind of love, Sweetheart -"

"There's only one bed in that bunker," she said. Ford still looked confused.

"He's married. Well, was married."

"So?" Ford chuckled.

"Honey - if you put as much energy into school as you did relationships, you'd have more pHds than me."

"Yeah, sheesh. You're starting to sound like Dipper with all his conspiracies," Stan muttered. Mabel giggled.

"You two would be cute together." Ford sighed.

"I don't fall for every boy I meet like you do," he pointed out.

"Just psychopathic dream demons!" Stan teased.

"Says the guy who was married for six entire hours before your wife got sick of you," Ford shot back coolly. Dipper giggled as Stan swatted Ford with a newspaper.

"Still more action than you." Ford wrinkled his nose.

"Ugh . . . Stan." Stan laughed, slapping his knee. Will chuckled, glad to see the weight in the air gone.

"Hey Ford, really, if you would feel more comfortable moving Bill somewhere else, it's totally fine." Ford shook his head.

"No - don't bother. It's time I get over myself and move on. I have you guys now - and that's better than any lab partner," he said, smiling. "In fact - I can even help you in your rehabilitation process - if you would like." Will lit up.

"Really? That . . . that would actually help I think. I made up think of some ways to make up for what he did. He mentioned doing chores around the house and things like that."

"Oh - I'd love to see that jerk washing my dishes," Stan said, rubbing his hands together. Will laughed.

"That would be pretty funny."

"I wouldn't mind running some tests on him," Ford said. "If you don't mind." Will shook his head.

"Glad you're okay, Weirdo," Stan muttered, thumping his twin on the back. Ford smiled.

. . .

They trooped back inside. Ford straightened the collar of his sweater before descending down into the basement with Will. They came back up a few hours later, Ford's notebook filled with new scribbles. Everyone gathered in the living room.

"Okay, so from what I can tell, Bill's main problem is his lack of sympathy. He doesn't care about the emotions of other people. So I think that is what we should work on first."

"Does he actually seem genuine?" Dipper asked.

"Yes - surprisingly enough. I don't know what made him willing. It could be selfishly motivated - but as long as it gets him to try - I don't think it matters too much."

"Okay - so how do we teach a psychopath sympathy?" Stan asked.

"That . . . that is the hard part."

. . .

The next day, Will brought Bill out of his cage. Stan had already forbidden him from leaving the Shack or using any of his powers outside of his cage. Ford had convinced Stan to leave the rules at that for the moment - if Bill was truly going to change - he had to do it of his own free will - not because he was commanded to. Stan added one last rule: no harming his family or Will - and left them alone.

Bill was still gaining strength. He wobbled slightly as he walked, using Will as a cane. That stupid, carefree grin of his remained plastered on his face. After making an inflammatory comment about Mabel's sweater-making skills, Mabel proposed that they work on his language first.

They sat Bill down on the living room floor. He crossed his arms, looking bored as Mabel stood cheerfully in front of him.

"Okay Bill - today we're going to work on being grateful," Mabel said. Will and Dipper sat next to Bill as Mabel pulled out a yellow sweater. Ford leaned against the back wall, watching the group carefully.

"I made you a sweater!" she said, holding it out. Bill took it, letting it hang limp in his hand.

"How does that make you feel?" Will asked.

"Sweaters are stupid. I've never liked sweaters. They make better kindling." Mabel poked out her bottom lip, putting on her sad face.

"Oh no - now you've made her sad," Dipper said, pointing out the obvious.

"Why would I care if she's sad, Pinetree?" Bill asked bitterly.

"And that's what we need to work on," Mabel said.

"Have you ever made something for anyone, Bill? Like, as a gift?" Bill tilted his head.

"I once made a sculpture of human teeth for Keyhole as a reward." Dipper tried to hide his wince.

"Right . . . and you worked hard on it right? How would you feel if Keyhole broke it right in front of you? Or said he hated it?"

"I would have lit him on fire."

"Because saying that would make you feel bad right? Or at least mad?" Bill rolled his eye and nodded.

"So - what you just said to Mabel about the sweater is like Keyhole destroying your present. You saying that made her feel bad. Or mad. Maybe if she were an interdimensional dream demon - she would have lit you on fire just then!" Will explained.

"You don't have to explain everything to me," Bill snapped. "I knew that would hurt her feelings. Her emotions aren't mine - so why would I care?" Will sighed.

"Okay - so you don't care. What if I was someone you wanted to make a deal with?" Mabel asked. Bill raised his eyebrow. Mabel grinned.

"There we go! See - now you care a little bit more. If you wanted me to do something you wanted - you would probably be a bit nicer to me."

"You're trying to teach me about manipulation, Shooting Star? I invented it," Bill sneered.

"My point is that you can always find a reason to care about someone - whether that reason is because you like them, are trying to impress them, or don't want to make them mad. So you need to find a reason to care about me enough to not insult my sweaters." Bill blew through his lips. He thought for a moment.

"If I care then I can get out of this stupid exercise faster," he said. "Is that right?"

"Good enough!" she said. She took the sweater back. "Now let's try this again."

"You can still be nice even if you don't like the present," Dipper cut in. "It's kind of like lying - but since you're doing it to be nice - it's not so bad."

"Or you can politely tell her that you don't like sweaters without being mean," Will suggested. Mabel handed Bill the sweater. He stared at it for a moment.

"Wow . . . thanks Shooting Star. I . . . love it." Sarcasm dripped through his lips.

"We'll keep working on that," she said. "And for the record - I knew you wouldn't like the sweater - so I made you something I knew you would actually like." She brought out something from her pocket and handed it to him. Bill actually perked up as he unfolded it.

"An eyepatch." He stretched it over his face and secured it over his gaping eye socket. It was the same as Will's except his had a strap to hold it on. Dipper coughed. "Oh yeah . . . um . . . thank you, Shooting Star. I guess your craftiness can actually be useful." Mabel forced a smile.

"Thank you, Bill! I appreciate your compliment!" He folded his arms.

"Am I done now?"

"Yes. Thank you for cooperating."

"Like you guys gave me any choice."

"This was your choice, Gold," Will reminded him.

"Yeah whatever, Blue."

"Aww . . . you guys have twin nicknames! That's so cute!" Mabel squealed.

. . .

Later that afternoon they practiced again, only this time the scenario being that Dipper was the one offering a present. Bill got through this one slightly faster, though there was still a bunch of eye rolling and sarcasm. Will seemed happy enough with the progress as he delivered Bill back to his cage at the end of the night. Ford read over his notes, slightly surprised at how well Bill had done for his first day. Of course - things would probably be a lot different if Bill was allowed to use his powers. He didn't need a rift to cause chaos.

. . .

They continued to work on different scenarios. Wendy came over and Bill practiced offering to help her at the cash register. He made a list of things that he thought would make people happy or sad and made a goal to do one random act of kindness to a family member each day. Will even started leaving his cage unlocked at night. He was starting to believe his twin could actually change. All in all - things seemed to be going pretty well.

Until Ford noticed Bill was memorizing his responses.

They varied from scenario to scenario - but his responses were always similar. _Thank you. No thank you. You don't suck as bad as I thought you did. I appreciate your generosity. Do you need help? I would loooove to._ He sounded like a broken record. He continued to roll his eyes at everyone and stare blankly into space whenever he wasn't being forced to practice. He was even going down his list of good deeds in the same order.

One night as he volunteered to wash dishes like he did every four days, Ford walked up behind him.

"Why do you keep using the same phrases over and over again?" he asked. Bill tensed.

"You guys didn't tell me I had to be creative," he snapped, turning around and crossing his arms. Ford pursed his lips.

"No, but usually genuine people don't end up saying the same things over and over again." Bill's eye twitched.

"I'm trying, Sixer," he seethed. Will walked in the room to see Ford looking like he wanted to punch Bill in the face.

"I appreciate your effort," Ford forced himself to say. Bill scoffed, turning around.

"Look who sounds like a broken record now," he muttered. Ford tensed but kept his mouth shut, walking to the coffee pot. Will watched as his brother stared down into the dirty dish water. His hands trembled slightly. Will carefully walked up to him.

"Are you okay, Gold?" Ford turned around as Bill's hands clenched into fists.

"I don't get it." Will raised his eyebrow.

"Get what?" Bill's hand curled around a fork lying the bottom of the sink. Without warning, he raised it up and stabbed himself in the forearm with full force, hissing in pain as the metal prongs sank into his flesh. Will gasped as he ripped the fork out only to bring it crashing into his thigh, a low cackling laugh erupting from his vocal cords as he did so.

"Bill! What are you doing?" Will squeaked.

"It's funny!" Ford dropped his cup of coffee as blood started dripping to the floor. Will lunged for his brother, trying to wrestle the fork away from him. They fell to the floor, spreading the blood on the tile as Bill shouted for Will to get off, unable to do anything but hide the fork away from him. "You guys have your fun - let me have mine!"

"You're hurting yourself!" Will protested. "That's not healthy!"

"I don't care!" Bill screamed. Ford joined the tussle, succeeding in grabbing Bill's arms and pinning them behind his back. Bill thrashed against his grip as Will yanked the fork away, gawking at him in shock.

"LET ME GO, SIXER!"

"What's wrong with you?" Will shouted, eye twitching. "You were doing just fine this morning!"

"You idiots make it look so easy!" Bill spat, his eye turning red. "You don't get it! None of you do! LET GO OF ME!" Ford eventually carried the screaming demon back into his cage. This time, Will locked the door. Safe inside, Bill let his powers go wild, screaming and creating things just to destroy them seconds later, his eye on fire.

Will followed Ford back up the stairs, eyes wide. Dipper, Mabel, and Stan were all standing in the kitchen, staring at the blood smeared on the floor. Will snapped his fingers, cleaning it up.

"What the heck happened?" Dipper asked.

"Bill decided to have a little mental breakdown," Ford muttered, going back to his cup of coffee. Will stared mutely at the floor. Mabel prodded him.

"What happened?" Will shook her off.

"He started stabbing himself with a fork and screaming about how we don't understand something." Mabel frowned.

"Huh, that's weird. He's been doing so well."

"I don't know about that," Ford said. "He's been recycling his comments. He's basically saying the same things every time - just adjusting them slightly for each scenario."

"So?"

"So genuine people don't do that. It's like he's putting on a show. He's acting." Will clenched his fists, spinning on his heel towards the door.

"I'm going on a walk," he muttered, throwing the door open with a wave of his hand.

. . .

The next day, Will went down to the basement to see that Bill had calmed down. His suit looked slightly more ruffled than before, but he muttered an apology for scaring them earlier. Will accepted it, although noticing it was the same apology he had given him before. He chose to ignore it.

This time, Bill lasted a week before having another breakdown. It took Ford and Stan to wrestle him to the ground as he thrashed, trying as hard as he could to cut off one of his toes with a butter knife because _why not? The pinkie toe doesn't do anything anyway_ , before being carried back off to his cage. He raged all night to be calm and composed in the morning, repeating the same apology.

The pattern continued. Will noticed Ford had stopped bothering to take notes on their scenarios. Will worried obsessively over his brother's behavior. Surely they were getting somewhere with this - right? He was improving? Somehow? Someway? They hadn't come this far for Bill to fail now. The Axolotl wasn't stupid - surely this would work? It had to. _It had to_. Will spent more and more time off in the woods by himself, causing his own bubbles of destruction to let off steam. He wasn't sleeping much anymore but Dipper never slept either and he was fine. He never lost control of his powers because he was normal and sane and _stop muttering to yourself it's weird that's not something sane people do Will and you're the sane one!_

Will knew what was happening to his brother. He was getting frustrated. There weren't many things Bill was bad at. He was used to getting something right away - he had always been a fast learner. The few times where he came across something he didn't automatically understand, he obsessed over it for days, driving himself half-mad _haha mad_ until he mastered it. He never handled frustration well. And he was doing the same thing he used to when he had his masochistic fits. But what was he frustrated about? Will knew it must be hard to adjust to having a human body and being a slave to someone - but he never mentioned those things when he was screaming and destroying things. It was always something like _you don't understand! I don't understand! How do you do this?_

Will was relieved when Ford offered they change the pace by scanning Bill's brain while they were doing a scenario. That had the potential to give them more insight on how they could help him. Bill agreed. He drummed his fingers on the chair as Ford secured electrodes to his head. Dipper, Mabel, and Stan came down to help.

They ran through one of the usual ones - offering Bill some sort of gift. He muttered the same customary responses. Ford's frown deepened. They continued to practice until Ford told them to stop. He turned around to face Bill.

"Bill, please answer me honestly. Are you trying? Do you really want to change?" He stared at the ground.

"I am trying," he muttered. "I'd rather not die trapped in this stupid meat-sack." Will frowned.

"Die? Who said anything about dying?" Bill looked up at Stan. Will narrowed his eye as Stan put his hands up.

"Eh - you're the ones who said his motivation for change didn't matter at the moment! Don't look at me!"

"You mean to tell me the whole time - you've only been trying because Stanley told you we were going to kill you if you didn't?" Ford asked. Bill nodded. Will glared.

"You could have at least asked me before telling him that!" he hissed.

"You wouldn't let anyone close to him!" Stan protested, crossing his arms. "I did what I had to do. We're closer than we were a few weeks ago, aren't we?" Ford winced.

"I don't know if we are. I don't think it's just his personality," Ford said. "His brain scans look unusual - similar to those of sociopaths. It's not lighting up where it should - no matter what you guys do. I - I don't know if it's possible to re-wire your brain at this point. Maybe if we caught you earlier, but at this point it's too late." Will clenched his fists.

"You're telling me there's not a single magical or scientific cure?" he hissed through clenched teeth. Ford winced and reached out to Will.

"Will - I'm sorry." Will jerked away from him. Bill clenched his fists.

"So you're saying that it's impossible for me to change?" he asked. The silence answered his question.

"We don't have to kill him," Dipper said quietly. "We could just keep him here - bonded to Stanley so he can't do anything."

"There's got to be a way!" Will shouted. "The Axolotl wouldn't have given him a second chance if he knew it was pointless!"

"I don't know what else to try!" Ford shouted back.

"You're supposed to be the genius scientist here!" Will seethed. "Figure it out! Don't you have something in those precious journals of yours?"

"Will - calm down." Ford reached out again, grabbing Will by the arm. "You're just going to make things worse!" Will shied from his touch. Bill leapt up from his chair.

"Let go of my twin!" he shouted, yanking Ford's hand off of him. Dipper gasped and pointed to the monitor as Bill's brain suddenly burst into action. Ford did a double take, the wheels in his brain spinning.

"Wait a minute." He faced Will again. "Will - your counterparts were right - you really are useless." Will's eye widened in momentary hurt. Bill's brain scan jumped to life again. Bill grabbed Ford by the front of his sweater, hissing as his chains began to glow with heat.

"Don't you . . . ever . . . talk to my twin . . . like that." Bill let go, rubbing his wrists, glaring at Ford. Dipper furrowed his brow.

"Will - I hate your sweater." Bill's brain scan burst into color. Mabel gasped.

"It's you!" she said, pointing to Will. "You're his soft spot! He's only capable of caring about you!" Bill frowned and crossed his arms. Will blinked in surprise.

"So that does mean he can develop the ability to have sympathy?" he asked slowly.

"That depends. Have you two always been close? Cared about each other?" Bill's steaming silence answered the question. His motives for wanting Will out of his way suddenly seemed perfectly clear. "In that case - no. He didn't develop the ability to care about you - it was already there. At this point - it would have to take some extreme trauma to re-wire his brain." Will's shoulders sagged once more.

"Sorry, Blue," Bill muttered. Will shook his head.

"No," he said thickly. "I know what will get you back to normal." He strode over to Ford's desk and dug out the quantum destabilizer. He thrust it into Ford's arms. "Kill me." Everyone's jaw hit the floor, including Bill's.

"What?" Ford asked incredulously.

"Kill me!" Will demanded.

QEBVRSEMBN UW N FAVZ OR **M** ASMRVTK


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Bill rose to his feet, horror written on his face.

"Blue, no!" he shouted.

"You said extreme trauma would do it - right?" Will said. "If I'm the only one he cares abOut anymore - then killing me should do the trick!" Ford shook his head.

"That's completely out of the question!" Ford shouted.

"You want him to change, don't you?" Will demanded.

"Of course but -"

"Then just DO IT!" Will screamed, his voice rising several octaves. He Floated several inches in the air, his blue eye flaming. Dipper grabbed Bill and held him back as he thrashed against his grip.

"Don't you dare!" Bill screamed. "DON'T YOU DARE!"

"This is the only way!" Will protested.

"Sixer, PLEASE!" Bill begged. Ford threw the gun on the ground and grabbed Will, yanking him out of the air.

"Will calm down! You don't even know what you're saying!" Ford shook Will as he struggled to get out of his grip.

"I hate you! I'm trying to save my brother, and you don't even care!" Will sobbed, jerking from Ford's grasp and bolting from the basement. As he ran, various beakers and pieces of equipment exploded, sending shards of glass flying through the hallway. Bill finally stopped fighting Dipper's grip, looking tired and dazed as he slumped. Dipper gawked after Will as Ford stood speechless. Mabel and Stan stood speechless.

"That's not like Will," Dipper said quietly. "Maybe you ought to scan his brain too."

"Good job, Sixer. You're the only person on Earth who can make my twin mad," Bill muttered. Ford spun, anger etched on his face.

"This is all your fault!" he shouted.

"I believe I remember you shaking my hand," Bill smirked. Dipper gasped as Ford backhanded Bill across the face. His head snapped sideways with the impact but all he did was laugh at the sting. Dipper attempted to shield Bill with his body.

"Calm down!" he shouted. Ford lowered his raised fist, sudden tears glittering in his eyes. Bill spat blood out of his mouth and looked back up at Ford.

"Just kill me, Sixer. We all know I can't change. And as much as people love staring at me - I don't really think you want to keep me around as eye candy for the rest of eternity."

"Killing you will destroy Will," Ford said quietly. "I can't do that to him." Ford turned and ran up the stairs. Dipper took a deep breath, feeling like his world was slipping out underneath his feet.

"Enjoying holding me, Pine Tree?" Bill asked bitterly. Dipper remembered he was still supporting the demon in his arms and dropped him ungracefully to the ground.

"Can you really not find it in yourself?" Dipper whispered. "Even after all that?" Bill stood up, brushing off his suit.

"I'm insane kid. You can't magic away trauma." Dipper briefly thought of the destroyed memory gun. He sighed, rubbing his temples. Bill crossed his arms. Dipper briefly wondered if killing Will would even work, or if they were all just going insane.

"Will is your only weakness," Dipper muttered. "Who knew?" Bill narrowed his eye.

"If you kill him, I'll make your life so miserable that you'll beg for death," Bill warned.

"Don't worry," Dipper said. "Will is actually a good guy. No one here would ever." Bill sank back into the chair as the others went back upstairs.

. . .

Will couldn't remember how long he had been running by the time his burning muscles finally forced him to stop. He collapsed to the ground, heaving, tears pouring to the ground as he clutched at his chest. He beat his fists on the ground, screaming, cursing the Pines for all they were worth. Surely they out of all human families would understand the urge to save a twin. Why wouldn't Ford just do it?

He lifted up his hands to see blood running from them. He sighed and healed them, falling on his back. _I can't lose him_ , he thought, curling in on himself. _I can't lose my twin._

 _Then make them want to kill you._

Will slowly sat up, wiping away his tears. He rubbed his head, the familiar sense of fear and paranoia filling him. Had it always been his fate to become insane like his brother? His doom? He could feel the neurons in his head growing more and more crooked. They had to be - for him to think this plan would work. But if it did . . .

. . .

Will walked upstairs to the attic as he returned from the woods, his footsteps heavy. Mabel grinned widely when she saw him. Luckily no one else seemed to be around. Her smile fizzled out when she saw the expression on his face.

"What's wrong? Where have you been? The others are worried." Will motioned for her to be quiet as he took her by the hand pulled her back into their room. He closed the door behind them and checked for any of Bill's insignias that he hadn't already crossed into his own.

He kept his eyes trained on the ground as he handed Mabel a letter. With a confused look on her face, she read it, her face falling with every sentence. She threw the letter down to the ground, tears glittering in her eyes.

"No!" she said thickly. Will shook his head.

"Mabel please. This is the only way. I promised I'd keep your family safe - but I have to keep mine safe too. He's my twin. You would do anything for Dipper - right?" She nodded. He chuckled slightly, his laugh resembling Bill's. "Besides, I'm already falling apart. It's only a matter of time anyway." He looked into Mabel's eyes. "Do you trust me?" Tears slipped down her face as she nodded. Will held her hands to his chest and sighed deeply. With the last traces of his normalcy, he pulled her close, rocking her back and forth. He had never had romantic feelings before - that wasn't usually something that happened to demons - but it was an interesting experience.

"I love you." Mabel briefly wondered why all of her crushes were doomed in ridiculously heartbreaking ways as their lips crashed together. Mabel tangled her fingers in Will's hair as he dug his fingers into the back of her sweater. Will felt his broken heart racing, rattling the already fragile organ. _Maybe we're all just insane just in different ways_ , he thought, tasting Mabel's salty tears on her lips.

"Mabel! Ducktective is on!" Dipper shouted from downstairs. They jerked apart, gasping for breath. For a second, Mabel saw Will's old self in the way he blushed and looked down at the ground.

"Coming!" she yelled hoarsely. They let go of each other. With an unspoken understanding, Will bowed one last time to Mabel before walking out of the door. He was already walking with more swagger in his step, holding his hands up in the air as he swayed from side to side.

She watched him slide out of her room, taking a deep breath, picking up the letter off the ground.

"I hope you're right, Will," she whispered.

. . .

The next morning, the Pines family awoke to an unusual sight. Mabel, Dipper, Bill, and Ford walked outside, shielding their eyes from the rising sun. Will had covered the entire Shack parking lot in flowers. He seemed to float through the field, gently letting his fingers drag along the petals. He was singing softly to himself, oblivious to his audience.

" _If I told you what I was, would you turn your back on me? And if I seem dangerous, would you be scared?_ " Above the field, Stan floated, his arms stretched out to the side like he was being crucified. His head hung to the side, his eyes closed. Ford turned to Bill.

"What is he doing?" he demanded. For the first time, Bill looked as perplexed as the rest of the Pines.

"I can't read his mind," he said bitterly.

" _I'm taking a stand to escape what's inside me. A monster, a monster, I've turned into a monster, A monster . . . a monster . . . and it keeps getting . . . stronger._ " Will turned around and finally noticed his audience. He grinned - only it wasn't his usual shy smile. His teeth were sharp like daggers, and his eye twitched. Ford carefully walked forward towards the field.

"Will, what's wrong? You can talk to me." Ford yelped as he was suddenly thrown backwards. A glowing blue shield sparkled in the sunlight for a moment before fading away.

"Who knew there were shields that can keep humans out too?" Will giggled.

"Will, what's going on?" Dipper asked, a bad feeling growing in his gut. The sick smile on Will's face grew wider. He floated up into the air, glowering down at them. He held up his hands, golden fire burning from his palms.

"Sixty degrees which comes in threes, WATCHES FROM WITHIN BIRCH TREES." Will snapped and the trees surrounding the parking lot exploded. The Pines hit the ground as burning wood chips bounced harmlessly off of Will's barrier.

"Saw his own dimension burn, misses home and can't return. Says he's happy; he's a liar; blame the arson for the FIRE!" The flowers in his dome began to burn - only they didn't turn to ash. They continued to bloom and sway under the heat of the flames.

"If he wants to shirk the blame, he'll have to invoke my name. One way to absolve his crime, a different form, a different time." Will threw back his head and burst into maniacal laughter. Bill stood up off the ground, jaw hanging loose.

"Blue, what do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

"Oh, why did I even bother to try? I knew you were crazy from the beginning . . . though I guess it's my fault. Maybe if I had just played your game from the beginning things would've turned out different . . ." Will paused for a moment, as if stuck in deep thought, before clapping his hands. "But - the past is the past, and we never made a deal that allowed us to travel time! So I'm ready to take your deal now!" Bill continued to look incredulous as the Pines tried to keep up. What was Will's fault? What deal was he talking about?

"You - you - this isn't like you," Bill sputtered. "You're supposed to be the sane one."

"Sure I am - what's your point? If I can't make you sane then I guess _I'll_ just have to be insane." Will floated up behind Stanley's unconscious body, placing his hands on either side of his face. "I'm ready to rule the multiverse with you, Gold," Bill began to smile, his eye glittering mischievously.

"It's about time," he grinned, floating up to join Will. Ford paled as he realized what his demon was about to do.

"No - Will - STOP!" Ford screamed.

"Sorry Sixer, you already said I didn't have to listen to you," Will drawled. He twisted his hands, snapping Stan's neck with a loud pop. Ford screamed and fell to his knees as Stanley's body fell to the flaming ground with a hollow thud. Bill's chains evaporated from the air. He stretched out his arms in delight. Dipper stood like a deer in headlights, refusing to believe he had just seen his Grunkle's body fall to the ground. Mabel stood quietly, looking oddly calm.

"Oh - don't look so down Fordsy," Bill cackled. "You just saved your own life by letting Will do whatever he wants." Tears dripped to the ground through Ford's fingers.

"Let's leave them to their grief," Will smirked. "I know a perfect place to get some dimension-destroying practice." Will took off his sweater, throwing it at Mabel's feet. He snapped his fingers and his blue tailcoat replaced it, only this time wearing a black shirt.

"I don't think you'll be needing those anymore," Bill said, snapping his fingers. Rick's portal gun and quantum destabilizer appeared in his outstretched hands. He giggled as he twirled the gun in his hand. "Bill Cipher's got a gun. Look at that."

"You should really stop second-guessing yourself, Sixer," Will smirked. "You were right the first time when you said you shouldn't trust anyone." Will aimed the portal gun and shot it. The demon twins grabbed hands before disappearing into the swirling green vortex, Ford's screaming echoing in the background.

. . .

They appeared in Reverse Falls. Bill sat back and let his brother do all the work. The townspeople had always been scared of Will - but he assured them his quarrel was not with them. He strutted all the way to the Gleeful manor and burst through the front doors, cackling.

It was only moments before the mansion was up in flames.

. . .

Mabel grabbed Dipper before he could run to Stan's body. He fought against her grip as she pulled him back towards the Mystery Shack.

"There's no time - he'll be fine! We need to get the zodiac back together!" Dipper was past listening. Tears streamed down his face. Mabel grit her teeth and slapped her brother across the face. The action was enough to get Dipper to stop struggling and shouting. Mabel grabbed him by the front of the shirt, looking him straight in the eye.

"We. Need. The. Zodiac." Dipper stood speechless. She shook him. "Do you hear me?" He nodded mutely. She let him go and handed him the crossbow from off the wall. "Do you trust me?" she demanded. Dipper blinked but nodded. She shoved him out the door. He strapped the bow to his back as he bolted to the old Diablo and floored it out of the parking lot, squashing flowers as he went. The human barrier had melted as the demon twins disappeared. Grunkle Ford was hunched over Stan's body, sobbing and screaming.

Mabel grabbed a can of spray paint and began painting the zodiac in the gravel. It was messy, but it would do.

. . .

Dipper grabbed Wendy first. He kicked down her front door and all but collapsed into her arms, sobbing about Will going off the deep end and murdering his Grunkle. Wendy didn't waste any time on consoling him, grabbing her axe and motorcycle. She sped down the street, whipping out her phone and calling Soos and telling him to forsake their honeymoon - they had demon blood to spill. He agreed to come immediately. She swung by Robbie's place first, ignoring his protests as she dragged him on board. Meanwhile, Dipper floored it to Pacifica's house. Instead of getting in the car, she told him she would meet him there. She grabbed Alcor, who snorted as if to say _I told you so_. She grabbed an extra case of bullets before strapping a rifle to her back, galloping down the street. Dipper picked up Gideon before Fiddleford.

By the time everyone arrived at the Shack, Mabel had convinced Ford to carry Stan's body to the circle, lying him in his appropriate place. Ford had stopped screaming and was now oddly quiet, a dazed look on his face.

Pacifica tied her horse to the fence as everyone spilled off of Wendy's motorcycle and the car. Soos had ignored who knew how many cop cars chasing him to get there.

"Okay Mabel - everyone is here," Dipper said breathlessly.

"What the hell is going on?" Pacifica demanded. Mabel took a deep breath.

"I've got a plan," she reassured them. "I just need everyone to trust me and do exactly as I say." She pointed to where she had spray painted a pentagram beside the zodiac. "First - we need to summon Bill and Will."

. . .

Meanwhile, Bill polished his cane while his brother terrorized his previous masters when he felt the familiar tugging of a summoning. He laughed as he recognized the signal. His brother appeared out of the wreckage, feeling the same pull.

"Shall we indulge them?" Bill asked. Will smiled, wiping blood off of his face.

"We shall."

. . .

Dipper and Mabel chanted in unison as a pair of glowing flames appeared before them. Ford remained mute and unmoving as Bill and Will materialized in the burning circle.

"Miss us, Pinetree?" Bill drawled. Dipper ignored him, looking to his sister for guidance. She kept her gaze trained on Will, who smiled sickeningly down at her. He floated down to the ground, moving Mabel towards him. He ran a hand along the side of her face.

"That was fast," he whispered. He gripped her jaw, his eye lighting on fire and he leaned close to her face. "Are you trying to get this dimension destroyed?" he screamed. Mabel stood her ground.

"Remember what you told me," she whispered, the wheels in her brain turning frantically. Neither of them had counted on Bill taking Ford's quantum destabilizer - and that was what they had both been counting on. Will burst into laughter.

"Remember? How cute. I was _different_ then!" he hissed. He rose back into the air, golden flames bursting from his hands. "I'll remember whatever I feel like!" he screamed, his voice echoing like thunder across the sky. "In fact . . ." he said slowly, turning to look on the town. "I think I might just use this dimension for practice! Axolotl knows there are a million other ones we can take over later." Bill clapped his hands.

"Now _that_ sounds like fun," he grinned. Will turned around and bowed to Mabel.

"You should have made a deal with me, Shooting Star." He snapped his fingers and reappeared in the middle of the town square. His black cane materialized in his hand. Bill stood back and watched with glee. The townspeople stopped to stare. He smiled at them.

" _Your world has got you alone and silent . . . you can't fill the hole with a billion empty souls_ ," he sang softly, striking his cane on the asphalt. The windows in the stores began to explode. The townspeople dropped their groceries and began to scream.

" _Calm before the rage . . . hostage in a cage._ " Another strike. The glass shards ignited, screaming as they burned.

" _Now it's too late to wake up this place and bring you all back to life_." The sky turned red as the clouds turned to ice. Flowers dripped blood.

" _Your world will fail my love - it's far beyond repair."_ The street lamps turned to snakes. The cars grew fangs. The fallen groceries sported wings.

 _Your world will fail now - what will it take just to wake up this place and bring you all to life?_ " Back at the Shack, Mabel narrowed her eyes.

"Get that quantum destabilizer."

. . .

Pacifica dug her heels into Alcor, speeding off into the distance, Fiddleford clinging to the back. Mabel commanded Robbie and Soos to stay behind and make sure Ford (who had yet to speak or move) and Stan were safe. Gideon clamored on Wendy's motorcycle as she raced off towards the reddening sky. Dipper and Mabel clamored back into the Diablo, Mabel driving as Dipper hung out the window, crossbow locked and loaded.

They could only get so far. By the time they reached the town square, the asphalt had turned to lava - but not the sidewalks weirdly enough. Will floated above what used to be the street, grinning triumphantly at his work. Bill perched lazily on the old statue of Nathaniel Northwest as he watched his brother.

"Get them back to the zodiac!" Mabel screamed as she jumped out of the car, bolting down the sidewalk towards Will. Dipper scrambled out behind her, heading for Bill. Gideon fell off the back of Wendy's motorcycle, staring in horror at the scene around him. Wendy swore as the lava oozing from the street snagged the front tire of her motorcycle.

"YOU'RE BUYING ME A NEW TIRE CIPHER!" she yelled, twirling her axe. Gideon held up his hand.

"Wait - I think I can . . ." He held up his hand and closed his eyes, muttering something under his breath. The lava cooled and turned to stone. Wendy gasped.

"How did you do that?" she demanded. He smiled slightly, flexing his fingers.

"I figured it would be a good idea to start practicing magic again after the Pines started collecting demons . . . just harmless stuff," he added quickly. "Nothing dangerous. _Super_ dangerous." Wendy looked up and saw Dipper sneaking up behind Bill, eyes trained on the quantum destabilizer.

"Go help Dipper," she said, jumping out of the way as a huge snake lunged for her ankle. "I got this!" She sliced the head off with her axe as Gideon raced for Dipper and Bill, freezing the lava as he ran. Mabel unsheathed her grappling hook, aiming it for Will. From the Northwest manor, Madeline and Tate watched in a combination of amazement and terror as Fiddleford ran in from the woods, unwrapping the bandage from his arm, revealing what appeared to be an arm cannon. This was definitely not what she had been expecting on her visit. He hooted as he blasted it, knocking Bill off his statue and sending him crashing into Dipper, who immediately grappled for the quantum destabilizer. Gideon joined the tussle before Bill shoved them all away with a surge of power, his eye glowing red. Mabel shot the grappling hook, securing Will's foot before flying up into the air, tackling the demon right out of the sky. Dipper shot an arrow through Bill's top hat, distracting him as Gideon levitated the gun out of Bill's reach. Will twisted and turned, trying to knock Mabel off as she clung to his back, wrapping her legs around his midsection.

"Sorry Will." She bashed him in the head with the metal hook on the grappling hook, causing him to hiss in pain. The glass stopped burning. The clouds began to thaw.

"GOT IT!" Gideon screamed as the gun floated into his hands. Bill hissed and made to grab Gideon, but not before Dipper tackled him, trailing his fingers under his arms. Bill burst into a fit of laughter, thrashing under Dipper's weight as he tickled him.

"You were right, Mabel!" Dipper shouted.

"I'm always right!" she shouted. Will's eye flashed red as he grabbed the hook and finally succeeded in kicking Mabel to the ground.

"ENOUGH!" he screamed. He snapped his fingers and everyone was suddenly teleported back to the Shack. They all fell to the ground around the zodiac. Will threw the hook to the ground and snapped his fingers. Crystals erupted from the ground, trapping each member in their respective circle. Bill wheezed as he stumbled to his feet, indignantly brushing off his suit. Will eyed the zodiac as Dipper tried to reach the quantum destabilizer from his cell. Will's eye narrowed.

"Where's Llama?" Behind him, Alcor stepped forward from the woods. Pacifica, who had been waiting for the perfect shot, aimed her rifle and pulled the trigger. Will stumbled and hissed in pain as he grabbed at the back of his shoulder. He turned around and laughed when he saw Pacifica. She dismounted Alcor and calmly walked towards him.

"You shot me!" he accused, floating down slightly to meet her. She stopped and leaned against the gun.

"Llamas are nature's greatest warriors," she whispered, mostly to herself.

"Why are you even trying?" Will sneered. "Feeling left out? I can add you to my collection. You always had such horrible self-esteem issues," he said with fake sympathy.

"No one collects me," she spat. "I just think you've forgotten something important."

"And what would that be?"

"Your promise." Bill turned around as Will blinked. "You forgot what you promised Ford and the rest of the Pines - didn't you? That you would always protect them? Protect this dimension? I should know - Mabel was so excited she wouldn't shut up about it for days! And now look what you've done to them!" she shouted. Will looked down at his prisoners. He clenched his fists. "I never knew you that well, Will, but I know your promises meant a lot to you. More than your deals even."

"Promises aren't binding!" Will seethed. "I am bound to no one! I'll do whatever I feel like!"

"As long as your brother approves of it - right? Isn't that how it's always been? You've always been the one to go along with the flow - always doing whatever he wanted. You may not be bound to him, but you're his servant all the same!" Will's feet touched the ground.

"Your whole life has just consisted of you running away from your problems instead of facing them!" Pacifica spat. "You're a coward, Will." He stared at Pacifica with a wide eye. "Is this really what you want? To see this dimension burn - just like your home did? Is that what you want to be known for? Destroying the family who cared about you more than your psychopathic twin ever did?"

"Bill loves me!" Will shouted.

"He may love you, but he doesn't care about you. Not like Mabel, Dipper, Ford or Stan." Will flinched as he felt unfamiliar memories roll through his head. He vaguely felt the sensation of strong arms around him, lifting him from a pool of blood. The gentle stroke of a brush on his nails - the scratchy wool of an oversized sweater. The smell of pine trees embedded in the flannel he so often clung to when he was scared. The rough calloused hand rubbing his hair. Will turned and looked at Mabel. She wrapped her fingers around the bars of her cage, staring intently at him, tears in her soft brown eyes. The rush of hormones and heat flushed through his skin.

"Remember now?" she whispered, pain in her voice. He blinked, not quite understanding. Remember what? Everything felt hazy, like it was locked in a glass box. His brain felt fried and crooked. Or was that just because Mabel had bashed her grappling hook on his forehead?

"What . . . no . . . I don't." Will racked his brain for whatever he was trying to remember, feeling dizzy and nauseated. He turned and looked at his prisoners, his gaze landing on Stanley's limp body. His eye widened in horror as he backed away.

"If you really aren't under Bill's control, then you can't shirk the blame for this. This is all your fault."

"Of course it's his fault! Who cares?" Bill said with a smirk, still floating. "He'll be honored among the multiverse! Everyone will know our names! We'll be feared - respected at last!"

"Because that's what you always wanted, right? Chaos? Destruction?" Pacifica whispered. Bill snapped his fingers and Pacifica flew backwards, slamming into the ground. Alcor reared up and neighed, the markings on his flank glowing.

"Be quiet!" Bill hissed. Will's face was crossed his horror as he looked at the burning town. "No . . . it's not. Oh no . . . what did I _do_?" Tears filling his eye as he looked at Stan's body. His memories were suddenly in perfect view, decorated in vibrant colors and glossy edges, no longer obscured by his bout of insanity. He looked back at Bill, anger clouding his face.

"What did you make me do?" he screamed. Bill shrugged, floating to Pacifica. He lifted her off the ground with his powers, lightly squeezing her throat as she struggled in his grasp.

"I didn't make you do anything! This was your choice, Blue!" Will turned around, staring at Stan's body. Ford's vacant expression was almost harder to look at. _You assumed wrong_.

"I chose to love you," Will whispered. "I'll fix this." Bill was so busy gloating that he didn't notice Will walking towards Ford's quantum destabilizer. By the time he turned around and saw - it was too late.

"I'm sorry," Will whispered to no one in particular. With the gun pressed to his eye - he pulled the trigger.

KNZQ PJQFAJ HMS RCSG **Y** SW VJ OQKFMX TJOWSI.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Bill's scream echoed throughout the town as Will's body turned to a thousand pinpricks of blue light, disappearing in the wind. Across the parking lot, Stan's body sputtered back to life. Ford blinked and gasped as Stan groaned, slowly sitting up. The bars to their cages disintegrated. Pacifica fell back down to the ground, gasping for breath. Dipper raced to her, holding her in his arms as she coughed, fisting his shirt.

"For the love - what do you keep putting in my coffee, Sixer?" Stan grumbled, adjusting his fez. Ford burst into tears once more, throwing himself around his twin and squeezing him tightly. Mabel smiled to herself through her tears as realization dawned on Dipper.

Bill raced to the spot where Will had stood, feebly grasping at the air. Tears poured from his eye as he beat the ground. Ford let go of Stan, straightening his trench coat. He picked up the quantum destabilizer as he slowly walked over to Bill, wearing his poker face. Bill looked up at him, pain etched on his face.

"S-Sixer you've gotta help me!" he begged. "Y-you've gotta help me bring him back!" Ford stood silently as Bill gripped his trenchcoat, sobbing. "I can't lose him!"

"Even I can't bring back the dead, Cipher. I only know one being who can do that." Bill blinked. "Maybe the Axolotl will make a trade. But surely you wouldn't stoop that low. After all, who would sacrifice everything just for their stupid sibling?" Bill sagged, bowing his head towards the ground. Ford shook him off and turned around.

"Wait." Ford stopped. Bill stood up, wiping tears from his eye. Ford turned around. Bill nodded.

Dipper and Mabel held each other as Ford walked up to Bill and pressed the point of the gun against his eye. Bill flinched but didn't move. Ford's hands trembled the slightest bit.

"I loved you - you know. I worshipped you."

"I'm incapable of love, Sixer. You should know that." A ghost of a smile flickered across Ford's face.

"You love your brother." Bill smiled.

"He hates me."

"He gave up everything for you. You better believe he loves you." Another tear trickled down Bill's face.

"He should have known better." Dipper felt his own eyes welling up with tears as Mabel buried her head in his shoulder.

Ford pulled the trigger. Bill body vaporized without a sound. Ford let the gun fall to his side, the barrel still slightly smoking. Ford turned around, smiling slightly.

"Told you I wouldn't miss twice," he said, his voice cracking through his smile. He turned back around as the gun clattered to the ground, officially out of charge. He sank to the ground and buried his hands in his face, shoulders shaking slightly. Mabel's eyes clouded over with tears. Fiddleford raced over and wrapped his arms around Ford as he cried. Dipper, Mabel, and Stan joined them, wrapping their arms around each other.

"I thought you said the Axolotl would make a trade," Mabel asked.

"Bill should know the Axolotl doesn't trade lives," Ford said.

. . .

That evening they all crowded in the Shack's living room. Fiddleford let Ford absentmindedly lean his head on his shoulder as he nursed a cup of Mabel's hot chocolate, still looking a little smaller than normal. Stan sat beside him, trying hard to look like he wasn't concerned, but he wasn't fooling anybody. Dipper and Pacifica had already fallen asleep against each other, hands tightly intertwined. Gideon sat quietly next to Mabel as she stared at her untouched cup. Wendy wiped her axe on her jeans as Soos and Robbie stared at the floor, unspeaking.

. . .

Later that night, after everyone slowly made their way home through the rubble (the demon twin's damage hadn't been erased this time), Mabel silently handed a note to Ford. He unfolded it and recognized Will's spiraling handwriting.

 _Hey_ _Six_ _Ford. Let me first begin by saying that I'm sorry. I know I sound insane but I know that if anything will save Bill - this will. I went ahead and told MabeL my plan so she could set it into motion._

 _I've been feeling my sanity slip for a while now. Believe it or not - Bill and I used to be completely normal. Well, as normal as dream demons get anyway. There are things I never told you about our home dimension - before it was destroyed. We had to work our way up to our present state - gaining more powers with all the deals we made. Bill was always the ambitious one. He wanted to see how far he could bend the rules before breaking them. I was content to follow him along._

 _We got into an argument the day Bill destrOyed everything. I was the one who upset him. It's my fault he destroyed our home and family. He lost the ability to care about people after that day - except me apparently. He cast me into the multiverse because he knew I was his one weakness. I grew more and more fearful and paranoid of becoming what he was as he grew more and more insane. I let the Gleefuls bind me because I thought it would protect the multiverse from the monster I knew I was capable of becoming._

 _Even after all that - I can't just give up on him. I know he's insane but he's still my twin, and I love him. You can't vaporize a family tie. I know the only way to redeem him is to kill myself - and since you refused - I figure I'll have to make you mad enough to do it. So don't beat yourself up over that. I deserve it. I made sure to cast a spell on Stanley that essentially tied our lives together. I made it so he would come back as soon as you kill me. At least that's my plan, anyway. And once Bill is sane again - the multiVerse will be safe. I told Mabel to summon me if I decided to disappear after killing Stanley. I'm not quite sure what I'll do once I let myself break. I'm trying to keep it together for as long as I can but with each passing second I feel the world getting redder and more hazyandIjusthatemyselfforwhatIvedone. I really hope this works. Please don't be mad at MabEl for keeping this a secret. It was the only way._

 _I'm sorry, Sixer. I hope you can forgive me. I promised I would keep your family safe - but I have to keep mine safe too._

 _~ Will Cipher_

"I'm not mad at you, Sweetie." She nodded. Ford took a deep breath. "Will was betting on me killing him." _Not killing himself. And on Bill living_. Ford swallowed, guilt pummeling him. The paper crumpled in his fists. Mabel hugged him.

"Bill didn't want to live anyway," she whispered. "They're together now . . . wherever they go." His eyes glimmered with tears for what felt like the millionth time that day.

. . .

Pacifica refused to go back home. She fisted Dipper's shirt.

"I just bullied someone into committing suicide." Dipper awkwardly patted her back as tears wet his shirt.

"Will knew exactly what he was doing," Dipper whispered. "If he didn't kill himself - someone would have had to." Mabel let Pacifica sleep in her bed that night. No one closed an eye.

. . .

Ford sat back down next to Stan after everyone had gone to bed. Stan shifted uncomfortably. He had never heard of his brother crying before - let alone sobbing multiple times in one day. He knew he had died and everything . . . but still.

"You really love me," Stan whispered. Ford blinked at him.

"Did you think I didn't?" Stan rolled his eyes.

"Well you always were a self-righteous, arrogant little know-it-all." Ford cracked a smile. "If I woulda known me dyin' would make you go all zombie like that - I would have made a lot more fun of you as a kid." Even as the joke passed his lips, Stan felt his own eyes filling up with tears. They turned to each other, all delicate smiles and unspoken sentiment.

"Mystery Twins?" Ford asked.

"Mystery Twins."

. . .

Fiddleford ambled through the wreckage, kicking chunks of hardened lava with his bare feet, almost walking into a figure in a pink dress. He looked up and saw Madeline staring at him, her soft eyes creased with worry. They looked awkwardly at each other for a few moments. Fiddleford cleared his throat first.

"So uh - I'm assumin' you saw all that?" She nodded thickly. He scratched the back of his head. "I-I sure am sorry about everythin', Addy." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh shut up you old coot." She walked forward and wrapped her arms around her late husband, burying her head into his shoulder. Fiddleford sighed and held her close, a big smile stretching across his face. They pulled apart slightly. Several tears streaked down Fiddleford's cheek as he held onto Addy's hands.

"Will you let me make it up to you?" he asked, his voice almost sounding pained. He sank to his knees. "Over all these years . . . The one thing I never forgot was loving you and Tate." Tears began to streak down Addy's cheeks.

"Of course," she whispered, cupping Fiddleford's face in her hands. More tears streamed down the old man's face as he turned into her hand, kissing her palm.

"Will you marry me again?"

"You bet your boots I will!" she laughed. A bright grin broke over Fiddleford's face as he stood up and kissed his Love.

. . .

Mabel spent the next few weeks idling around the house, wearing Will's sweater and picking apart flower petals.

"This is ridiculous!" she shouted suddenly one day, bursting out of Stan's chair. "This is supposed to be a happy ending! This doesn't feel happy!" Dipper gave her a sympathetic look.

"This isn't a fairy tale Mabel," he said. "Real life doesn't always have happy endings." She crossed her arms.

"I refuse to believe that. There's got to be a way to bring them back! I'll find a way to make that Axolotl talk!" She ran outside. Dipper started to go after her but stopped, figuring it better to just leave her alone for the time being. Their birthday and subsequent end of summer was coming up in a week, and he was just glad everyone was alive. Though he would miss Gravity Falls as the school year came back, some boring high school classes sounded pretty good right now.

The days rolled slowly by with no one doing much of anything, Mabel included.

On the day of their birthday and final day in Gravity Falls, she was nowhere to be found. The Pines searched for her all throughout the house and outside, but she was gone. Her stuff was left behind in her room, including Will's sweater, so they knew she hadn't run away for real.

She was out by Bill Cipher's statue. She sat down in front of it, legs crossed as she leaned her chin in her hands.

"Happy Birthday to me," she muttered. She recoiled slightly as she took a deep breath. She hadn't showered in a few days and she really needed to. She knew she wasn't acting like herself, but she didn't care.

Footsteps crunched behind her. She groaned.

"Go away Dipper."

"I'm afraid you have the wrong person." She turned around at the unfamiliar voice. The Oracle stood behind her, a sad smile on her face. Mabel turned back around. The Oracle walked around her and knelt down in front of her.

"I understand you're having a hard time," she said gently. Mabel ignored her. "What you did was very brave young lady. The entire multiverse holds you and your family in the greatest respect. Many dimensions celebrate you and your brother's birthday today.'

"Whatever lady." The Oracle gave Mabel a sympathetic look and fished something out of her cloak. She handed it to Mabel. She fingered the object. It was a necklace with a silver pentagram on it.

"Will Cipher was making it for you as a birthday present before his brother was resurrected." Mabel's eyes filled with tears. The boy had started thinking of her birthday before she did. Had she even asked him his birthday? How old he was? She buried her head in her arms, heart heavier than ever but still clenching the pentagram as tight as she could without breaking it.

"He kept his promise, you know. Both of them. That he would protect your family and his. It's not often one heard of guardian demons." Mabel laughed sourly.

"His entire family is dead."

"But redeemed. Will's final act made sure that his brother would be redeemed and ensure the safety of not only your family but the multiverse."

"I don't think being redeemed matters all that much when you're dead." The Oracle smiled.

"What do you think that quantum destabilizer did, Mabel?"

"It blasted them into nothingness," Mabel said bitterly.

"And what is nothingness?" Mabel paused.

"I don't know. It's Grunkle Ford's nerd gun, why don't you ask him?"

"Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Ford should know that. I believe Bill Cipher once bragged about how he was a being of pure energy – correct?" Mabel blinked up at her.

"But – but they vanished right in front of us – how could they be – what are you saying?" Mabel demanded. The Oracle smiled and stood up.

"You're smarter than you think, Mabel. You figure it out." She started to walk away, but paused. "You also redeemed yourself," she added. "Giving up the one you love is very selfless. You've had trouble with that in the past as I recall." Mabel bit her lip. The Oracle vanished amongst the trees. Mabel stood up, still clutching the pentagram to her heart. She looked at the moss-covered statue and hung the necklace around her neck. She held up her fingers in a triangle over her eye, using her middle finger to make a slash over the eye of providence.

"Will?" she whispered. "Can you hear me?"

The pentagram glowed blue.

EV **Z** TTBZW LFZ XSS HSDH AEXCPW QOHMWM DR EVZ QFZOMGSMWP. (PPX **O** CI'X ESGP QCMH - SS'GP WSO XSS AEXS BS CWBLE HJ LTG CILR.)


	21. FYI

Hey guys! So I just wanted to let any readers know that I am leaving to serve a mission for my church starting October 3, 2018 and will not have ability to access fanfiction until I return in April of 2020 – so if anyone messages or comments and does not receive a reply – this is why.

Happy reading!

~MAB:)


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